Sustainability Cooperation

Launched in 2022 by makro ČR, the České Pole (Czech Field) initiative supports Czech farmers and promotes traditional local agricultural products across the country’s foodservice and retail sectors. What began with efforts to rebuild cultivation areas and form strategic partnerships has evolved into a nation-wide program that connects growers, academic institutions, government bodies, and chefs—all to restore high-quality Czech ingredients to Czech homes and restaurants.
Today, České Pole involves the stewardship of over 6,000 hectares of agricultural land. The initiative is far from a solo endeavor: in addition to the core partnership with the Czech University of Life Science in Prague (ČZU), other key institutions including the Ministry of Agriculture, agricultural associations, and culinary schools actively contribute. The initiative also collaborates with vocational schools in Poděbrady and Roudnice nad Labem to foster culinary education rooted in sustainable practices.
The Czech University of Life Science in Prague plays a key expert role in the initiative by identifying suitable crops, livestock, and producers. The university emphasizes the importance of high-quality raw materials and contributes its academic expertise to guide the development of the initiative. Its involvement also supports knowledge transfer to future chefs through collaborations with culinary schools, promoting both the sustainability and growth of Czech gastronomy.
The first success story of České Pole came with Czech-grown potatoes for French fries. Czech potatoes now account for 43 % of total fries sales at makro ČR. Since then, the product portfolio has expanded to include traditional crops like Czech garlic, horseradish, two-year caraway, pickling cucumbers, shallots, and sauerkraut.
Looking ahead, the initiative is planning to introduce Czech-grown poppy seeds, plums, and wine. These are complemented by new collaborations, such as the recent partnership with Zátiší Group—a Czech leader in HoReCa segment —who will test and refine recipes using Czech Field ingredients in their flagship restaurants.

METRO supports its customers’ business success. Metro’s purpose is to help its professional customers run profitable businesses which have a positive impact on their communities and the environment. Consumers have changed the way they consume both at home and in restaurants and food businesses must adapt. METRO has, therefore, developed a guide which takes HoReCa customers through the main sustainability issues of interest for gastronomers: water, energy, responsible sourcing, waste, plastic & packaging waste, food waste, sustainable menu, social issues and safe food. It gives advice and solutions customers can directly implement in their own business. Because sustainable gastronomy is about conducting business that thrives in the long term.

“In the wake of COP21 in 2015, Carrefour raised its targets for reducing its CO2 emissions. It then set a new reduction pathway approved by the Science-Based Target (STBi) initiative in 2020 (compatible with keeping the increase in global warming to below 2°C by 2100). Now, just as COP26 is kicking off, the Group is once again raising its aim and has set itself the target of carbon neutrality by 2040. To do this, the Group is intending to reduce the emissions resulting from its activities at source as much as possible. In particular, this will involve using completely renewable electricity by 2030, replacing all of its fluorinated refrigerants with natural fluids and further reducing its energy consumption.”

Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, plans to invest €1 billion to enhance global recycling infrastructure. Through this initiative, the company aims to support the transition to a circular economy by funding firms that recycle end-of-life products into secondary raw materials with a focus on plastics, mattresses, textiles, wood and food waste. Since 2017, its Circular Investments initiative has recycled approximately 2.7 million tonnes of materials, avoiding over 9.4 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions. The portfolio includes RetourMatras, Morssinkhof Rymoplast, Next Generation Recycling, RECO and Winnow.

As an international market player, Colruyt takes responsibility for ensuring the right working conditions among its’ producers. The retailer wants to be sure that producers not only comply with their national laws, but also with international treaties and conventions. One way in which Colruyt realise it’s aim of 100% responsible trade is through membership of amfori BSCI. This international platform helps companies achieve their goals around decent working conditions. Colruyt asks all suppliers of house-brand products to sign up to the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct.

Kaufland and Lidl cooperate with renowned organic associations to increasingly offer their customers local organic food produced according to the highest standards. Since November 2018 Lidl Germany has a partnership with Bioland, the leading association for organic farming in Germany and Southern Tyrol. In total Lidl Germany permanently offers over 80 food items which meet Bioland standards. Kaufland is offering numerous quality food products through its Demeter line, which was established in February 2019. By now, the assortment has grown to over 250 products and includes juices, dairy products, canned vegetables, pasta products, baby food, and cereals as well as fruits and vegetables.

K Group (Kesko and K-stores) and the wildlife conservation organization WWF Finland have begun several years of wide ranging cooperation to conserve and increase endangered migratory fish populations. The cooperation is recognised by the “Mating Belongs to all” (“Kuteminen kuuluu kaikille”) slogan. in this collaboration, the parties strive to remove barriers that block spawning in rivers and brooks and to create spawning grounds together with local operators, landowners, K-retailers and volunteers. In 2 years, more than 80 kilometres of new spawning grounds and habitats for migratory fish have been opened up, 19 barriers that prevent the fish from swimming upstream removed, and more than 200 gravel beds established.

Jerónimo Martins set ambitious targets to improve the healthiness, safety and sustainability of its food products. One of these targets was to ensure that breakfast cereals feature wholegrains as their main ingredient – excluding corn-based options, which are already processed – due to their superior nutritional value, particularly their higher fibre content.
Pingo Doce and Recheio, the Group’s Portuguese banners, met this target two years ahead of schedule, with 100% of their breakfast cereals containing wholegrains as the primary ingredient. In Poland, Biedronka achieved 92% compliance across its private brand cereals, with 44 out of 48 eligible products meeting the criteria. This includes items that contain wholegrains as the main ingredient but are not explicitly labelled as such.
This has been an outcome of the close cooperation with the Group’s suppliers to reformulate recipes, prioritising wholegrains such as wheat, oats, barley, rye, and rice as the first ingredient.

As member of the CGF’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, Ahold Delhaize helps drive and communicates environmental sustainability improvements throughout the value chain of the consumer goods industry. The retailer is represented on the Board of Governors and working group of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and is on the Board of the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), which provides clarity on credible seafood standards. In addition, Ahold Delhaize is part of the Retailers Palm Oil Group (RPOG) and Retailers Soy Group (RSG); a group of European retailers working together pre-competitively on the challenging topics of palm oil and soy.

MC put forward its Sustainability Statement to be adopted by all Continente Producers Club members and has already been subscribed to by approximately 37% of the members. This is a commitment based on eleven principles, including topics such as nature and biodiversity conservation, promotion of regenerative agriculture and circularity, and a wide range of initiatives to promote sustainable production techniques and consumption habits. These initiatives cover all areas of the agri-food sector and include better production practices, better packaging, and better nutritional solutions.

The Continente Producers Club’s Academy is a training program developed specifically for the Club’s members, with the aim of reinforcing their knowledge on the various areas of the supply chain, making them more competitive, accelerating innovation, and sustainability processes. Launched in 2017, the Academy already has more than 50 innovation projects presented, including new products and concepts aligned with current production and consumption trends, and 10 producers distinguished with the Continente Producers Club’s Innovation Prize.

As early as 2020, the REWE Group had formulated the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by the end of 2030 compared to 2019. In order to achieve its goals, the REWE Group relies on cooperation based on partnership. Together with its strategic suppliers, who account for 75 percent of product-related emissions, it wants to agree on concrete targets and measures to reduce the greenhouse gases that are produced in the upstream supply chains by the end of 2024. As part of the “Together for more climate protection” initiative, suppliers can register on a platform and, with the support of the REWE Group and external service providers, set climate protection targets and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.