They provide shade, store water and offer a habitat for countless animal and plant species: our forests, the green lungs of our planet. Yet in many regions, they – along with other natural ecosystems such as savannahs and wetlands – are under threat, particularly from agriculture. That is why at Lidl, we are specifically committed to binding the sourcing of critical raw materials to defined ecological and social criteria. Hannah Mittner from Ecology at Lidl International explains how in this interview.
Forests safeguard the foundations of our business. They stabilise the climate, protect soils and store water – all of which are essential for agriculture, on which we as a food retailer depend. Loss of these areas threatens the long-term stability of global supply chains. As the expansion of agricultural land represents the main reason for deforestation, we counteract this through targeted procurement guidelines for deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains.
By taking a closer look at where our raw materials come from – and by influencing how they are produced. Agriculture is the main global driver of deforestation, for example through the cultivation of palm oil, soy and cocoa. That is why we aim to ensure that raw material supply chains for relevant own-brand products are socially and environmentally responsible. In doing so, we follow the guidelines of the internationally recognised Accountability Framework Initiative (AFi).
A key lever is the implementation of fixed cut-off dates in accordance with AFi guidelines: We exclude raw materials from areas that were deforested or converted after the specified date. In addition, we require our suppliers to use established certification systems for high-risk raw materials. Here, we rely on cooperation with organizations such as Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade.
Yes, for example in our chocolate bars certified according to the Fairtrade standard. For these products, we source cocoa whose cultivation is audited according to Fairtrade criteria. These include, among other things, the prohibition of deforestation and the conversion of protected ecosystems in cocoa farming, as well as requirements for respecting human rights.
Protecting forests also means protecting the climate. Our comprehensive CSR requirements help us not only to comply with legislation aimed at preventing deforestation, but to stay ahead of it. In the soy sector, we support the protein partnership with Donau Soja as well as certifications according to RTRS, ProTerra, Donau Soja or ISCC+ standards to verify pesticide reduction in cultivation areas in addition to excluding deforestation. For cocoa, we use established certifications such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance or recognized organic labels. As a member of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO), we also participate in sector initiatives to improve the living conditions of cocoa farmers and prevent deforestation-associated cocoa farming.
We want to make shopping transparent for our customers. Customers should be able to easily understand how products are made when they shop with us. Clear labelling, transparent information and private labels such as Vemondo, which focus on plant-based alternatives, help make this possible. In this way, every purchase of these certified products becomes a decision in favour of protecting forests and their ecosystems.
What motivates me is that, as a company, we can demonstrate that sustainability and economic success are not mutually exclusive – quite the opposite. By protecting forests, we are also protecting the future of generations to come. And that is what we stand for at Lidl.
