Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the basis of life, water and soil. Essentially all food products that we sell are directly or indirectly derived from biological resources, either wild or domesticated. In addition, the bulk of what we build with, make medicines from, and use as industrial raw materials are derived from nature. Products that are not sustainably sourced pose a threat to biodiversity worldwide. Natural habitats, forests and wetlands are often converted into monocultures and coupled with the unsustainable use of pesticides, which can further damage the surrounding biodiversity.

Ahold Delhaize acknowledges that food systems need to change to reduce the negative influence on biodiversity. Therefore, we have created approaches towards 2025 to influence those changes.  

We focus on: 

• Conserving natural resources. We are committed to avoid operational activities in close proximity to World Heritage areas and IUCN category I-IV protected areas.
• GMOs
• Reduce land conversion in our supply chain
  • Deforestation and Conversion 
  • Wood fiber
  • Palmoil
  • Soy
  • Cocoa
  • Beef
  • Regenerative agriculture in our supply chain 
  • Increase genetic diversity of crops.

Beef

Beef is sourced from all over the world and produced under a wide range of conditions, depending on the region. In South America, beef production is a major driver of deforestation and land conversion. However, the vast majority of beef products our brands sell, are sourced from areas that are not linked to deforestation. As a member of the multi-stakeholder Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB), we aim to jointly limit deforestation through the GSRB Principles & Criteria. 

Regenerative agriculture

Land based agricultural production is the basis of the majority of the food products that are sold by the Ahold Delhaize brands. Agricultural practices can compromise the production capacity of agricultural land. This puts pressure on the affordability of food, availability of agricultural land and can negatively affect biodiversity and the environment. 

Ahold Delhaize supports farming approaches that use soil health and fertility as the entry point to regenerate, and we’re aiming for net positive impact instead of only reducing negative impacts.  

Ahold Delhaize brands work with farmers that use various good farming practice approaches and initiatives that have a positive contribution to regenerative agriculture like Global G.A.P., the SAI Platform Farm Sustainability Assessment and certifications like Rainforest Alliance These approaches minimize soil erosion and compaction, and maintain or improve soil health, including stocks of soil organic matter. Soil fertility is managed in a way that promotes crop and soil health. Improvements in soil organic matter, water, soil health, and pest management increase a farm’s resilience to climate change.​ By having this approach the carbon footprint of agriculture and the products that we sell will be reduced as well.