Deforestation and Conversion
Around the world, forests continue to disappear, often for agricultural, ranching and logging purposes. Deforestation and land conversion are a particular concern for tropical rainforests and ecosystems as they capture carbon emissions (and thus help mitigate climate change), are home to much of the world's biodiversity, and support livelihoods across the globe. In addition, protecting, restoring and sustainably managing natural ecosystems, such as old-growth forests, marshes, mangroves and peatlands, could help to avoid the worst climate scenarios. Because of this, the food industry must help reduce deforestation and land conversion and identify alternative methods to produce the commodities that feed the world.
As a retailer with a global footprint, we source several commodities that are considered to have a high risk of deforestation and/or land conversion. Our focus is on own-brand products that contain one of the following commodities: palm oil, soy, coffee, tea, cocoa and wood fiber. We use verification and, where possible, certification programs to address and minimize deforestation and land conversion. Ahold Delhaize and its brands aim to be 100% deforestation and land conversion free for own-brand products containing coffee, cocoa, palm oil, tea, soy and wood fiber by 2025.
Ahold Delhaize follows the guidance and definitions of the Accountability Framework Initiative to advocate progression in supply chains and promote systemic change across the globe. In addition, the EU has legislation addressing deforestation: the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which aims to minimize deforestation and forest degradation associated with certain commodities and relevant products placed on the EU market. Ahold Delhaize and its European brands will comply with this regulation when it becomes applicable.
We participate in multi-stakeholder forums, including:
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The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA)
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The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
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The Retailer Palm Oil Group (RPOG)
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The Palm Oil Transparency Coalition (POTC)
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The Round Table for Responsible Soy (RTRS)
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The Retailer Soy Group (RSG)
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Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Regenerating Together Group
Palm Oil
Ahold Delhaize’s brands are working towards 100% of own-brand products containing palm oil certified against an accepted standard, such as the RSPO, by 2025. The RSPO is a global partnership promoting sustainable palm oil production, processing, trade and use through the development and implementation of global standards. Where palm oil used can’t be certified directly, it is covered by buying credits from growers that produce RSPO certified palm oil. In addition, Ahold Delhaize is a member of the POTC: a pre-competitive coalition working to remove deforestation and exploitation from the palm oil production sector. It focuses on transparency, traceability and sustainability in palm oil supply chains through, for example, their annual trader assessment (see our position on palm oil for more information).
Soy
Ahold Delhaize’s brands are working towards 100% of high-risk (South American) soy volume in own-brand supply chains covered by accepted physical certification or credits, such as the RTRS, by 2025. The RTRS promotes responsible soy production, processing, trade and use, while developing and implementing global certification standards for sustainable soy. Where certified material is not available, for example in the case of embedded soy coming from South America, we buy credits to directly support farmers producing certified soy. Ahold Delhaize is also a member of the RSG: a non-competitive group of retail companies committed to increasing the use of sustainable soy in their products, aiming to make sustainable soy the norm and increase transparency in the soy supply chains (see our position on soy for more information).
Coffee and tea
Ahold Delhaize’s brands are working towards 100% of own-brand products containing coffee or tea certified against an accepted standard, such as Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade or equivalent, by 2025. Their aim is to improve agricultural practices and reduce community impacts. By adhering to Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade standards, these certifications help improve farming practices while addressing social factors that affect communities, like access to water (see our position on coffee and tea for more information).
Cocoa
Ahold Delhaize’s brands are working towards 100% of own-brand products containing cocoa certified against an accepted standard, such as Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade or equivalent, by 2025. Our Dutch brand Albert Heijn is also on the board of the Dutch Initiative for Sustainable Cocoa (see our position on cocoa for more information).
Wood Fiber
Ahold Delhaize’s brands are working towards 100% of own-brand wood fiber-based products and packaging either certified against an accepted standard, classified as low-risk or recycled, by 2025. The accepted standards for certification are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC, Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or equivalent standards (see our position on wood fiber for more information).