Biodiversity Friend for Barone Pizzini

CSQA, the leading certification body in Italy for the agri-food sector, has certified the products of Barone Pizzini, one of the oldest wineries in Franciacorta and the first to produce Franciacorta from organic viticulture, as Biodiversity Friend.

The Biodiversity Friend standard, sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, is owned by the WBA-World Biodiversity Association onlus. WBA is a non-profit organization, founded in 2004 at the Natural History Museum of Verona, which promotes the knowledge and conservation of biological diversity through research and education activities. Certification against the Biodiversity Friend standard can only be issued by the CSQA-Valoritalia group chosen by the WBA as a partner from the outset of the standard.

To actively contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, WBA, in collaboration with CSQA, has created "Biodiversity Friend", the first standard for the certification of biodiversity in agriculture. The assessment of the farm with respect to the standard allows for the definition of a complete picture of the interactions of a production process with the biological diversity of the territory, identifying operational mitigation and/or improvement strategies capable of making the impact on agrosystems, ecosystems and biodiversity minimal or negligible. The level of biodiversity is assessed through the verification of specific "measurements" and "actions".

In particular, the measurements concern the quality of the soil, water and air, while the actions concern, among others, the adoption of agronomic techniques (biological, biodynamic, integrated) to protect water, soil and air resources; correct management of fertilization and agronomic practices to restore soil fertility losses; the presence of hedges or woods capable of increasing the biological complexity of the agricultural context and stone terraces and dry stone walls capable of promoting the natural drainage of water and hosting numerous plant and animal species; the diffusion of pollinating insects through the diffusion of nectariferous plant species; the use of energy from renewable sources and the adoption of concrete measures to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“ Biodiversity is a highly topical issue with a great impact for the consumer - says Pietro Bonato , Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of CSQA . - Awareness of the interdependence that exists between the quality of a product and the quality of the environment it comes from becomes the driving force behind innovative and highly valuable initiatives such as that of Biodiversity Friend which today represents a valid tool for measuring (not simply declaring) the quality of life in water, air and soil. The hope is that this tool can be applied not only at the level of individual virtuous farms but at the level of entire territories to demonstrate that a quality environment expresses quality products and at the same time safeguards biodiversity and the quality of life of those who live and work in that environment".

“ Respect for life in all its forms - declares Silvano Brescianini , Director of Barone Pizzini - is a cornerstone in all our choices: from the turning point that led us to be the first to produce Franciacorta from organic viticulture, up to the desire to guarantee transparency and protection for the consumer through parameters that ensure a healthy environment. Our commitment in this direction is supported by the results of the analyzes carried out for the Biodiversity Friend certification which, with decidedly high starting marks, show us that we are on the right path. However, without forgetting that for us organic and biodiversity are not the end but the means to obtain quality wines! We are proud of this goal which for us becomes the starting point for doing better and better, as we are a living organism and an integral part of an ecosystem whose biological variability we intend to preserve, maintaining balance and without impoverishing resources. We appreciated the work of CSQA, in particular for the direct approach to controlling the quality of the environment in its entirety and not limited instead to exclusive indicators of the world of wine ”.

CSQA is the leading Italian company in the certification sector in the agri-food sector. For 25 years it has offered an international and accredited certification service, which ranges from regulated (DO and IG) and voluntary (Integrated production, Carbon footprint) product certifications to management systems. CSQA is a founding member of Qualivita and Valoritalia, a company specialized in DO, GI and organic certifications.

Barone Pizzini - 47 hectares of vineyards and a production of around 300,000 bottles a year - is one of the oldest wineries in Franciacorta. Since the end of the 1990s, he has converted the vineyards to natural agriculture, which are all certified organic today. The new cellar was built (2006) according to important criteria of eco-compatible architecture and in compliance with the commitment to respect the environment and quality of production. Barone Pizzini is among the first 'green' wineries to have signed up for the new CO2 RESA protocol and the first ISO 14064 certified company for Ithaca. In 2015, the only one in Italy, it received the Gambero Rosso Special Award for Sustainable Viticulture.

Rome, July 15th 2015