Aldi Süd has won praise from Greenpeace and other environmentalist groups by becoming the first major supermarket chain to phase chemicals that are harmful to bees out of its supply chains last month.
Greenpeace has said that other supermarket chains are now "called upon to follow this first step."
Aldi Süd has told its suppliers to phase out the use of certain chemicals deemed dangerous to bees, such as hiamethoxam, chlorpyrifos, clothianidin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fipronil, imidacloprid, and sulfoxaflor.
"Aldi Süd shows that the toxic dependency on pesticides can be broken and in this sense becomes a pioneer in the retail sector. Other European supermarkets are now called upon to follow this first step," said Greenpeace.
"Chemical pesticides are present from the field to our plate. Supermarkets are an important part of the supply chain and have to work on non-chemical solutions together with farmers.
"European decision-makers must act now and not only convert the partial ban on three neonicotinoids and fipronil into a full one, but broaden its scope to all pesticides threatening our bees."
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Peter Donnelly. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
