Words by Smiley Team
Intensive food production is eating away at our natural world, as well as our health. To tackle this issue, the US division of the international food distributor, Ahold Delhaize, has pledged to ensure greater transparency about where its food comes from, prioritising nutritious and sustainable products.
Along with increased transparency about product nutrition, a new leaf icon on products will indicate how environmentally friendly and ethical a product is. The more leaves that are shown on the packaging, the better the production standards. These incorporate everything from labour conditions to the treatment of animals and chemical use.
The company is also aiming to have 54 per cent of private food sales come from healthy sources by 2025. It will expand its current progress to sustainably sourced seafood, coffee and tea to be 100 per cent sustainably certified in cocoa, palm oil, pulp and paper ingredients and packaging, and by 2030 they’ve committed to reducing food waste and carbon emissions by at least 50 per cent.
These new goals are based partly on research conducted by the company that found 43 per cent of consumers feel sustainability is “extremely important,” up from 28 per cent of consumers pre-pandemic.
“The past year has truly been an unprecedented time for food retailers. But what has remained unchanged is our commitment to delivering for consumers whenever, wherever, however they want to shop,” said Kevin Holt, chief executive officer of Ahold Delhaize USA and one of those driving the move towards sustainability.
This isn’t the company’s first step in the direction of more sustainable, healthy food production. In 2019 it joined the Science Based Targets initiative and last year it set out goals to halve carbon emissions from its operations by 2030.
Holt explained: “Food – and how consumers shop for it – has far-reaching impact. As food retailers, we recognize that our role in the food supply chain comes with great responsibility. Our expansive network means we can make a real and positive impact on local communities and our planet. That’s why we’ve committed to these goals – to hold ourselves accountable to the customers we serve and our world.”
To encourage your company to take similar action, sign up to join Science Based Targets. Along with the many companies setting ambitious climate goals, you can play your part in tackling the climate crisis. All it requires is submitting a letter stating your environmental targets along with the application fee and having your targets verified.
