In a bold move to champion sustainability and meet the growing demand for plant-based alternatives, French multinational supermarket chain Carrefour (image source left) has announced significant steps in its commitment to more sustainable, climate-inspired products and relationships.
With €514 million in sales from plant-based alternatives last year, Carrefour has surpassed its initial target of €500 million by 2026, prompting the company to set a new goal of €650 million in plant-based sales by the same year.
This surge in plant-based product sales, which includes meat and dairy substitutes along with legumes—a recent addition to Carrefour's offerings following stakeholder requests—highlights a growing consumer trend towards healthier and more sustainable food choices. With €142 million in legume sales in 2023 alone, Carrefour is responding to this demand by expanding its range of sustainable offerings.
Source: Carrefour plant-based range
Under the Food Transition Pact, Carrefour has increased its network of suppliers to 306 in the last year, up from 204 in 2022. This initiative aims to enhance sustainability across the supply chain, promoting biodiversity, healthier options, and reduced packaging. The company aims to include 500 suppliers in this pact by 2030, emphasising its dedication to supporting sustainable agriculture and responsible consumption.
Alexandre Bompard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Carrefour, says the company's strategic direction, is far reaching. "We have deeply transformed Carrefour, placing the customer at the heart of our model and resuming profitable growth. With Carrefour 2026, we are accelerating our transformation, committing ourselves to giving all our customers access to the best, building a cutting-edge group and consolidating our sustainable growth model," says Alexandre Bompard.
Source: Carrefour
Carrefour's strategy also includes a commitment to fight climate change, with initiatives to reduce food waste by 50% in stores by 2025, ensure all own-brand product packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable by the same year, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
The company is also making a commitment to increase the number of suppliers within 50km of their supermarket outlets which is good news for fruit and vegetable growers and suppliers.
Source: Carrefour
"This is a very ambitious plan, whose deployment we will steer through granular, quantified, operational, and financial objectives, as well as societal ones," says Alexandra Bompard, sheeting home the comprehensive nature of Carrefour's sustainability efforts.
With these initiatives, Carrefour is not only responding to the urgent need for environmental stewardship but is also positioning itself as a leader in the global transition towards more sustainable food systems.
For more information about other initiatives CLICK HERE
ENDS:
Comments