The Io Sono Friuli Venezia Giulia Brand: A Compass for Companies Towards Sustainability

This paper presents the results of a preliminary study carried out in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy with the aim of investigating the sustainability of a number of regional agrifood companies certified by Io Sono Friuli Venezia Giulia, which is a regional brand that verifies and certifies an agrifood company’s sustainable practices. The analysis considered seven agrifood sectors with a total of 136 companies. The results showed that, during the certification process, there was a difference between the companies’ declared and actual sustainability, especially in the economic sphere. In terms of actual sustainability, none of the companies were 100% sustainable, although some came very close to achieving this value. The social sphere contributed the most to corporate sustainability, followed by the environmental and economic spheres. The Io Sono Friuli Venezia Giulia brand represents a compass capable of directing companies towards sustainable development and aligning their objectives with those established at both national and European levels.