The Italian Dried Forage Association (AIFE) has quantified the environmental footprint of dried alfalfa forage by having it certified to the ISO 14044:2006 standard by DNV, one of the most authoritative certification bodies.
The result is robust confirmation of alfalfa’s environmental, nutritional and commercial value.
During the complex analysis process, conducted by DNV and Turtle Srl (a spin-off of the University of Bologna), data on 150,000 tons of forage and 8,000 hectares of land were studied, as well as technical characteristics relating to the agricultural practices and transformation processes of the 23 AIFE member companies involved in the process. In this sample, 5 of the companies are part of Gruppo Carli, and have been supplying high-quality forage for animal feeds to Italian and international livestock producers for over 60 years.
Through this certification, Italy has confirmed its leading position in terms of efficiency, compared to Spain and France, thanks to its use of modern systems and natural drying process, producing only 272 kg of CO₂ equivalent per ton, with natural pre-drying in the field, and efficient technological systems.
This certification is not only an environmental achievement, it is a competitive tool, certifying the value of Italian forage globally.
It means exporting not just a product, but a traceable, sustainable and certified supply chain.
