La Doria publishes its 2024 sustainability report

La Doria has published its 2024 Sustainability Report , a year of particular commitment on the ESG front of the company and which saw the validation by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) of the CO2 emissions reduction targets. In particular, La Doria is committed to reducing not only the impact of production activities, but also that along the entire supply chain with reduction targets of 46.2% for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and 32.3% for Scope 3 emissions by 2031.

The company also renewed its membership in the United Nations Global Compact and improved its CDP rating (Carbon Disclosure Project, an international organization that evaluates the transparency and environmental performance of companies), moving from level D to level B, confirming its growing commitment to managing environmental issues.

“The validation of our emissions reduction targets by SBTi confirms the solidity of our commitment to the climate. We have continued to promote supply chain conditions capable of generating value in the long term, but sustainability for us does not stop at the environment and the supply chain: we have obtained gender certification, strengthening our commitment to the valorization of the people who have chosen La Doria as their reference working reality, and continued to invest in inclusion projects capable of generating a positive impact on the territories in which we are present” stated Antonio Ferraioli , President and CEO of La Doria, “We believe that the success of a company is also measured through the ability to create shared value in the long term, investing in people and in the creation of opportunities for new generations. Social and environmental responsibility remains a fundamental pillar of our strategy”.

The fight against climate change and therefore the protection of the environment for La Doria is realized not only through the adherence to the UNI ISO 14001:2015 standard for all production plants, but also with projects for the development and adoption of new technologies aimed at reducing inefficiencies and waste, as well as increasing the use of cleaner energy sources. Specifically, the plants in Angri, Parma, Sarno, Fisciano and the headquarters of the subsidiary LDH (Sproughton, United Kingdom) are equipped with photovoltaic systems . The group is also equipped with two high-efficiency cogeneration plants for the production of electricity and steam in the plants in Angri and Parma.

All these interventions have made it possible to cover 43.92% of the energy requirement with self-production in 2024 compared to 39.4% in 2023 and to reduce the consumption of energy purchased from the grid and the impacts associated with it. The electricity purchased still comes 100% from renewable sources. Furthermore, in the Sarno plant, in 2024 the thermal power plant was modernized by inserting two new high-efficiency steam generators.

In summary, thanks to the continuous investments made over the years, in 2024 thermal and energy recovery allowed a reduction of 7,467.83 tCO2 compared to 7,123 tCO2 in 2023.

Attention to the environment also translates into the sustainability of the packaging used. In this regard, in 2024 the number of self-produced tinplate boxes was 1,020 million (973 million in 2023) , corresponding to 98.7% of the requirement, thus avoiding the impact of transport from third-party suppliers. Furthermore, 100% of the corrugated cardboard and 72.5% of the polyethylene used come from recycled sources .

The organization of logistics is also increasingly a central element for reducing environmental impacts. In this regard, over the years the group has significantly increased the storage capacity at its production sites to reduce the use of external warehouses, which in any case in the case of Sarno are within a radius of about 17 km from the plant and in the case of Angri about 10 km. La Doria also relies as much as possible on local suppliers, specifically 48% of the expenditure on raw materials and 74% of that for services come from local suppliers.

Furthermore, the proximity of the ports of Naples and Salerno to the production plants is a characteristic of the group that over time has made it easier to reach some foreign markets and to exploit intermodal routes that also include the use of ships. Always with a view to promoting intermodal transport, in 2024, in cooperation with GTS and through the use of the railway network compared to road transport, it was possible to reduce CO2 emissions by 585,648 tons .

The group's commitment to environmental protection is also reflected in the utmost attention to the issue of waste and waste. The company is actively committed to waste recovery, as demonstrated by the recovery rate of waste produced, equal to 98%, achieved in 2024 .

Another important activity carried out by the group is the donation of some products to charitable organizations, which contribute to addressing food insecurity, managing surpluses and preventing food losses and waste. The company also contributes to the fight against waste through the constant relationship of collaboration and support to farmers, aimed at promoting, also through precision agriculture projects, the reduction of water and agrochemical consumption.

With a view to reducing waste and promoting a circular economy, specific projects are also active aimed at reusing some processing by-products , through their introduction into third-party production processes. This is the case, for example, of tomato peels and seeds that are used to feed livestock (7,283,508 kg in 2024); while the fruit stones, which are reduced to puree in the factories, are used in the confectionery industry or as combustible biomass.

La Doria considers traceability an essential element to operate responsibly on the market. In particular, it is able to guarantee complete traceability of all product lines , from the land of origin to the retailer's shelf, despite the variety of raw materials used and their different origins. For tomatoes, traceability even reaches its cultivation lot.

The company firmly believes in responsible supply chain management and implements actions and initiatives aimed at promoting, with grower organizations and its suppliers, respect for human rights and fair working conditions for workers involved in harvesting.

To this end, the group also carries out constant checks through an ethical risk monitoring system. Specifically, there are 77 field checks and ethical audits conducted in the two-year period 2023-2024 by La Doria, its customers and third parties.

Furthermore, all the tomatoes that La Doria receives are entirely mechanically harvested: this choice is linked on the one hand to the speed of harvesting and guaranteed precision, on the other hand it allows to avoid the exposure of workers to potentially risky working conditions.

In 2024, the group also continued to work to raise awareness among Tomato Producer Organizations to obtain GLOBAL GAP GRASP certification for the implementation of best agronomic and social practices.

Furthermore, the Social Footprint certification for the tomato supply chain and the Friend of the Earth certification for tomatoes and chickpeas (Italy) were confirmed, which promotes an agricultural production model based on the integration of innovation aimed at reducing the environmental impact of agriculture and respect for workers employed along the entire production chain.

The competitiveness of a company inevitably passes through the development of the skills of the people who compose it: in this regard, 17,437 hours of training were provided in 2024 .

The achievement of gender certification in 2024 also represents the company's commitment to adopting concrete measures to reduce gender gaps. Also on this topic, in 2024 La Doria also renewed its subscription to the United Nations Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs).

In order to pay attention to the well-being of its resources, La Doria has also decided to support employees in 2024 with a financial contribution of 1,000 euros net paid at the beginning of the Christmas holidays. Furthermore, the company continues to promote flexible working methods, such as smart working, in particular to support female workers with young children.

Attention to people also extends to the communities in which La Doria operates. Hence the commitment to contributing to local growth and consolidating the bond with the territory. In recent years, this commitment has focused on creating job opportunities for young people through the “ Rosso d'Estate ” initiative, in which participants are involved in a training course that allows them to acquire some basic skills on company operations and which ends with a work experience during the tomato campaign. Another important investment by La Doria, aimed at promoting the right to study, is represented by the assignment of the “Anna and Diodato Ferraioli” Scholarships , now in their 10th edition, reserved for the children of employees who have undertaken a university career and for local higher education management schools.

In 2024, La Doria supported, for the second year, the Mus-e project , an initiative promoted by the Mus-e Italia ETS Foundation which aims to spread different artistic disciplines among children through workshops, with the aim of stimulating creativity, inclusion and personal development, especially in the most difficult socio-cultural contexts.

In 2024, the company also renewed its membership in the Welcome working for refugee integration programme of UNHCR , the UN agency for refugees, which led to the hiring of a further 11 employees on fixed-term contracts.