Disciplinary Code for a Sustainable Extra Virgin Olive Oil Supply Chain (DFS)
CFE drafted this code specifically for Fiorentini Firenze, a leading company in bottling and marketing olive oil products, which sold 39 million liters in 2018. The DFS applies to EVO oil produced in the Bari and BAT provinces of Puglia and aims to certify its sustainability.
Sustainability is assessed by verifying ethical values and social responsibility throughout the supply chain and by calculating the environmental footprint, primarily CO₂ emissions. For the first three years, only CO₂ emissions will be measured; from the fourth year onward, additional indicators like the water footprint will also be included.
Ethical and social responsibility checks are conducted via self-declarations from all supply chain members upstream of the certification holder, complemented by second-party audits. This ensures compliance with labor laws, fair wages, and the prevention of labor exploitation, such as the illegal “caporalato” practice. The DFS thus guarantees that the entire supply chain meets high sustainability standards, promoting socially and environmentally responsible EVO oil production.
Sustainability of EVO Oil Supply Chain Certified by Rina AgroQualità, ensuring objective and reliable third-party verification.
To evaluate environmental impact, CFE carried out a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of certified EVO oil, covering cultivation, extraction, packaging, and transport. Using a cradle-to-gate approach and SimaPro 7.3 Analyst software, the analysis focused on 1L of oil in a glass bottle.
The carbon footprint was estimated at 4.94 kg CO₂ eq per litre, with cultivation accounting for 71%, followed by packaging (17%) and milling (12%).
These findings demonstrate the product’s sustainability and transparency, supporting its alignment with ethical standards, social responsibility, and environmental performance objectives
