In the 2023 Sustainability Report, including all Group companies

• 94% of electricity purchased from renewable sources in 2023 (+369% compared to 2022)
• Scope 2 Market-based emissions: 2,677 tons of CO2 in 2023 (-91% compared to 2022)
• 97% of waste destined for recovery in 2023 (+3% compared to 2022)
• 17,127 total training hours provided (+5% compared to 2022) and 14.13 hours per capita (+9% compared to 2022)
• 104 Innovation, Research and Development projects launched in 2023

December 3, 2024 - Casalasco, Italy's leading integrated tomato supply chain, specializing in tomato processing, packaging, and marketing of its derivatives, reaffirms its commitment to the environment, local communities, and people, and presents its 2023 Sustainability Report. This is the first report to also include the results of its controlled companies: Emiliana Conserve Spa, SAC Spa, De Martino Srl, and Pomì Usa.

Environment, Innovation, Research & Development, People, and Supply Chain are the five pillars upon which Casalasco's sustainable strategy is built, adopting a transparent approach with respect for all its stakeholders, with the common mission of building an efficient and solid value chain.

To guide the Group's strategic sustainability plan, a Steering Committee was established for the first time in 2023, launching the ambitious project 'Road to net zero emission'. The objective is to minimize impact across all stages of the supply chain by defining the Carbon Footprint and subsequently developing energy efficiency projects, reducing climate-altering emissions, and transitioning to renewable sources.

Within this context, Casalasco has developed and is implementing a comprehensive investment plan across all its sites, focusing on three main areas: reduction of methane gas consumption through the installation of 7 new evaporators utilizing MVR (Mechanical Vapour Recompression) technology, which, once fully operational, will save approximately 1 million cubic meters of gas and 2 thousand tons of CO2 per plant per processing campaign; increased efficiency in electricity production through the installation of two high-efficiency cogeneration plants; and production of energy from renewable sources, particularly thanks to the agrivoltaic plant, currently under development, which will cover an area of approximately 2 hectares. These initiatives, designed and launched in 2022, are already well underway in 2023 and are expected to be completed by 2025.

Energy consumption and the resulting carbon emissions, linked to production, represent a significant impact for the agri-food processing industry. For this reason, in 2023, the Casalasco Group committed to purchasing almost all of the energy used (94%) from renewable and non-fossil sources, an increase of +369% compared to 2022.

Precisely thanks to the increased use of energy from renewable sources, the Scope 2 Market-based emissions decreased in 2023 by -91% compared to 2022, totaling 2,677 tons of CO2 emitted.

Also, the consolidated Scope 1 emissions, resulting from the use of methane, diesel, LPG, and refrigerant gases, decreased by -3% thanks to the commissioning of the two new evaporators with mechanical vapor recompression at the Gariga and Fontanellato plants.

Regarding wastewater, At all production sites, water recovery systems have been implemented with the aim of containing its use.. Through the installation of cooling towers, dry coolers, and recirculation systems,it is possible to reuse cooling water for the same purpose or for the discharge and hydraulic transport of tomatoes.

In 2023, thanks to precise differentiation, the 97% of waste was sent for recovery. The correct management of production residues enabled the valorization of 20,915 tons of by-products used as animal feed and biomass.

Innovation, research, and development are central in all stages of the supply chain, from the field to distribution, and involve a multidisciplinary team comprising agronomic, food, legal, and industrial expertise. Specifically, last year, Casalasco's Research & Development department developed 104 projects (93 in 2022), to create new products in terms of recipe, production process, and packaging. Of these, 35% were successfully completed and 25% are still ongoing. In 2023, work also began on the construction of theInnovation Center, a multifunctional project designed to conduct agronomic experiments and raw material processing tests to evaluate special varieties. Completion and inauguration are expected in the first half of 2025.

We have always placed great importance on our people, who are the heart and driving force of Casalasco. Last year, the average number of employees was 1,212, with a peak of 2,078during the harvest season. We maintain an equal gender distribution with 46% women and 54% men and a rich ethnic diversity, with 68% of our workforce being Italian, and the remaining 32% coming from 66 different nationalities.

Finally, to maintain a safe and stimulating environment, Casalasco has implemented significant training projects, totaling over 17,127 reported hours, equivalent to 14.13 hours per capita, as well as welfare projects aimed at supporting employee well-being with free courses and check-ups for the promotion of healthy lifestyles, cancer prevention and the encouragement of sustainable mobility.

“Even in a highly dynamic business environment, characterized by significant changes and new challenges, our focus on the planet, the local area, and its community remains an essential guiding principle for us, and the results documented in this report confirm this - said Costantino Vaia, CEO of the Casalasco Group -. These are results we are proud of and which, for the first time, we wanted to present in a single document that also encompasses our subsidiaries, to highlight the importance and perfect integration of all Group components in terms of values and objectives, defining a common path towards the ambitious goal of the Road to Net Zero Emissions.”