Growing the food of the future thanks to Belgian farmers
What will we be eating in 2050? By 2050, 60% more food will be needed to feed some 10 billion people, while climate change, urbanisation and soil degradation are reducing the availability of farmland. The answer lies in sustainable and innovative agriculture.
What exactly we understand under health is explained in our definitions.
What does Colruyt Group do for sustainable agriculture?
1 Collaboration with Belgian farmers
- Maximum supply of Belgian agricultural products in our stores through the traditional purchase channels, our Belgian chain projects and our own farmland. We want to support our Belgian farmers socially and economically, while focusing on local products with few food miles.
- Transparent chains: we want to work together structurally, constructively, efficiently and respectfully with all links in the agro-food chain and in particular with the farmers themselves. We exchange information transparently with our chain partners, share knowledge and use existing expertise.
2 Reducing the environmental footprint
To make our agricultural chains more and more sustainable, we primarily focus on:
- Sustainable water management
- Reducing the environmental footprint: with the focus on green energy, carbon farming and fewer emissions of greenhouse gases
The Eco-score is an important guideline in this respect.
3 Informing customers
We want to inform our customers about Belgian agriculture, the products, the processes and the people behind them. Our aim is to raise awareness to make conscious choices.
Our objectives and initiatives
- Belgian agricultural products
- Samenwerken in de landbouwketen
- Reducing the environmental footprint
Belgian assortment
By the end of 2024, we want to increase the Belgian share in our entire assortment of fresh produce (potatoes, fruit and vegetables; with the exception of exotic produce).
Own farmland and agricultural companies
By the end of 2024, we want to increase the share of our own farmland and agricultural companies in our Belgian fresh produce assortment.
Initiatives about 'Belgian agricultural products'
Partnership
By the end of 2024, we will have established at least four new partnership projects in existing or new agri-food chains.
Carbon farming
By the end of 2024, we will have established at least four new partnership projects around carbon farming.
Environmental footprint livestock
By the end of 2024, we will have established at least one pilot project with the primary producers of the producer organisations we work with to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their livestock.
Green energy
By the end of 2024, we will have established at least one pilot project with the primary producers of our agricultural initiatives to use and generate green energy.
