We work with suppliers and service providers as business partners because they are key elements in building the value proposition of our brands and banners.
We govern our activity based on five main pillars:
We aim to ensure that the commodities used in our products are of a sustainable origin.
We endeavour to incorporate social and environmental concerns in our product and packaging development processes.
Whenever possible, we favour long-lasting relations with local suppliers.
We have designed a sustainable fishing strategy to reduce our impact on ecosystems.
We feed our animals quality food and endeavour to improve animal welfare.
Our Supplier Code of Conduct establishes a set of ethical principles and values which we believe our suppliers should share with us and that have an impact on the quality and safety of the products made available to our customers.
We seek to collectively contribute to eradicating forced labour – as defined by the International Labour Organization – across our banners’ supply chains and to continuing to ensure that forced labour is not used in our operations. To this end, we support the Resolution of The Consumer Goods Forum and its Priority Principles: every worker should have freedom of movement, no worker should pay and/or be indebted to have a job or coerced to work.
We regularly audit our Perishables and Private Brand suppliers to assess and follow-up on the management and control of processes, the implemented quality system, and product formulation. The audits we carry out both with internal teams and with the help of independent external auditors covers aspects such as quality and food safety, and environmental, labour and social criteria, among other aspects.
We also favour relationships with suppliers who have Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognised Food Safety certification.
We are also committed to carrying out environmental audits of at least 20% of Private Brand and Perishables suppliers who have a purchase volume of over 1.1 million euros, in 2021-2023.
We endeavour to raise the awareness of and train our business partners through programmes and initiatives focusing on topics such as quality and food safety and sustainable development, strengthening our relationship especially in areas where cooperation can be improved and in the development of innovative products. In 2020, we held several training sessions and meetings focusing on quality and food safety, which were attended by 270 suppliers.
Since 2013 we have been working with our fruit and vegetable suppliers in Portugal to encourage good farming practices and created the Sustainable Agriculture Manual. Learn more here.
Information related to new suppliers selected based on environmental and social criteria, negative social impacts on the supply chain and actions taken, assessment of the health and safety impacts of products, the number of audits conducted of Private Brand and Perishables suppliers, and of service providers was confirmed by an external and independent entity for the Group’s 2020 Annual Report.