Albert Heijn CEO Marit van Egmond has published a free book entitled 'Together on the road to better food', explaining her vision on the importance of food and drinks in a healthy, social, and sustainable society.
Van Egmond has included the voice of a number of prominent people in the book, including Marcel Levi, professor of internal medicine and chairman of the board of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of Rotterdam, and Louise Fresco, chairman of the board of Wageningen University.
Healthier Lifestyles
Albert Heijn has pledged to ensure a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle and society through its efforts. It is evident in measures such as reduction of sugar, salt, and fat in own-brand products, and the reduction of plastic in packaging.
For several years, the retailer has been collaborating with more than 1,000 Dutch farmers and growers as part of its 'Better for farmers, animals and nature' programmes and encouraging the switch to green wind energy from Dutch farms.
Van Egmond said, "We are proud of what we have already achieved, but we also realise that we still have steps to take. We can only accelerate the movement towards better food together with all partners in the chain. Not only with our trusted partners and suppliers, but also with smaller initiatives and startups.
"By jointly making 'better food' easy, affordable and tasty, a healthy lifestyle is within reach for everyone. By learning at a young age what food does to you, we can reduce diseases of affluence. We can use the connecting power of food to increase social cohesion. In addition, making our entire food system more sustainable is an important step to ensure that the next generation can continue to use the fruits of the earth."
Better Eten Festival
In January 2022, Albert Heijn will organise the the Beter Eten (Better Food), which will focus on inspiration, awareness, and exchange of ideas.
Van Egmond stated, "During the festival, three important themes are central – feeling good with a healthy lifestyle, the social connection power of food and how we can leave the earth better for the next generation.
"It will be two days full of inspiring speakers, interesting discussions, educational demos, interactive workshops and of course good food."
The festival, which is open to everyone, will be held at Expo Haarlemmermeer in Vijfhuizen.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
