Jerónimo Martins is fighting food waste on all fronts

Jerónimo Martins fighting food waste
Type of organisation or company
Country
Poland
Portugal
Language for original content
Key Area
Project elaborated in partnership
Yes
Ongoing
Yes
Type of funding
Jerónimo Martins
Description

Jerónimo Martins, a food retailer operating in Colombia, Portugal and Poland is committed to reducing 50% of the food waste produced in its operations by 2025, compared to 2016. It has developed various initiatives upstream and downstream of its operations.

It promotes the purchase of non-graded food – whose nutritional profile is the same as graded products – ensuring these products reach consumers’ tables.

Non-graded food is incorporated into soups in Portugal and in Poland, in 4th range products (washed and pre-cut ready-to-use vegetables) and is sold at a reduced price in Recheio stores.

In Pingo Doce and Biedronka stores, it launched the mark-down project, where food products about to expire are sold at discount prices.

Its agribusiness operations source sub-products from the food industry, and non-graded vegetables are incorporated into cattle feed.

The Group also seeks to have a positive impact in surrounding communities, through food donations to charities, training its employees to identify and select food in perfect conditions to be consumed.

To help clarify consumers’ doubts, whenever possible, only one expiration date on product labels is used.

Main results
  • First retailer in Portugal to calculate and disclose its food waste footprint according to the World Resources Institute's Food Loss and Waste Protocol. In 2019, 16.1 kg of food waste was generated per tonne of food sold by the Group.
  • In 2019, over 13,600 tonnes of “ugly” fruit & vegetables were incorporated into soups or 4th range products.
  • Within the scope of the mark-down project, it is estimated that around 2,000 tonnes of food are sold per year.
  • More than 9,000 tonnes of food sub-products and non-graded vegetables were incorporated into animal feed in 2019, nearly 3 times more than in 2018.
  • Over 15,600 tonnes of food products were donated in 2019, to a wide range of social institutions in Portugal, Poland and Colombia, representing an increase of 36% compared to 2018.