Coop Sweden will share the sustainability footprint of food items through a barcode on the product packaging.
Shoppers can scan the barcode on the product to access its sustainability footprint, which is based on ten parametres around climate, environment and society.
The sustainability declaration measures the sustainability footprint of products on a scale of one to five for each of the ten parameters, with lower scores indicating a lower footprint.
The initiative will see the retailer release the sustainability declaration of over 10,000 items to help customers make more informed choices.
'New Way Of Looking At Food'
Charlotta Szczepanowski, sustainability and quality manager at Coop Sweden, said that the information gives the group "a completely new way of looking at food."
"Now we can provide clearer information to our customers, and we also get a purchasing tool to gradually move our range towards a smaller sustainability footprint together with our suppliers," she added.
Sustainability Footprint
The sustainability footprint, presented in the form of a diagram, considers a product's impact on biodiversity, working conditions in the supply chain, climate, environment, and society.
Coop Sweden's methodology for reporting the sustainability footprint is based on recognised research and official data and took over two years to develop.
CEO of Coop Sweden, Magnus Johansson, said, "We know that most people think it is important to buy food that is nicely made and has as little impact on the environment and climate as possible. But many also find it difficult to understand how the food is produced. With the sustainability declaration, we want to help our customers and members make conscious choices."
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
