2013 Targets

Respect the Environment Source with Integrity Make a Positive Difference in Our Community Reflect Our Nation's Diversity Be a Great Place to Work

Local:

  • Source 30% of the produce sold in Loblaw stores from local Canadian growers.
  • Source up to 40% of the produce sold in Loblaw stores from local Canadian growers during the peak growing season.

Animal Welfare:

In 2013, we will make the following commitments:

  • Fresh pork sold in our stores will be sourced from suppliers who have made a transition to loose housing environments by year-end 2022. We will work with the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), the pork industry and governments to advance the upcoming Pig Code of Practice.
  • Introduce a new President’s Choice free-run omega egg product.

Paper Procurement:

  • Implement a sustainable paper procurement commitment for the business.

Sustainable Seafood:

  • Source 100% of seafood sold in our stores from sustainable sources by year-end 2013.
    • Complete proprietary vendor questionnaire to inform our sourcing decisions, including identifying remaining “at risk” species/stocks and fisheries/farms unable or unwilling to meet our sustainable seafood criteria.
    • Work with WWF and our scientific advisor to assess all species/stocks against our sustainable seafood criteria.
    • Delist products that do not adhere to our sustainable seafood criteria.
    • Create an action plan for remaining species/stocks that we have determined to source conditionally.
  • Obtain chain-of-custody (CoC) certification for our distribution centres and more than 600 of our stores enabling the sale of both MSC and ASC certified products in our seafood counters.
  • Participate in the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) discussions on seafood sustainability and eco-labelling.
  • Continue to drive consumer awareness of sustainable seafood and be open and transparent about our progress and policies.

Palm Oil:

  • Source palm oil contained in all control brand products from sustainable sources by year-end 2015.
    • Create a sustainable palm oil policy and action plan.
    • Complete an inventory of all control brand products that use palm oil and/or palm oil derivatives.

Product Safety and Traceability:

  • Expand Loblaw Academy to remaining control brand vendors.
  • Implement quality and safety management systems for non-food control brand products.
  • Implement quality and safety management systems across ethnic control brand products.
  • Achieve 100% Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification for all control brand produce growers.
  • Develop a consumer food safety education program in stores.
Aquaculture Stewardship Council:

The ASC is an independent, not-for-profit organization that aims to be the leading global certification and labelling program for responsibly farmed seafood. The ASC manages a global standard for responsibly farmed seafood and is committed to preserving marine and freshwater habitats while endorsing social standards.

Artificial flavours and colours:

Dyes and chemicals used in common artificial ingredients. Artificial flavours and colours have been linked to skin reactions, hyperactivity in children, nausea, high blood pressure and breathing problems, among other issues.

Auxiliary power unit (APU):

A small diesel engine that provides climate control and electrical power for the truck's sleeper cab and engine block heater without idling the truck during downtime on the road.

Backhaul:

The return movement of a truck from its original destination to its point of origin, especially when carrying goods back over all or part of the same route.

Farm-raised (seafood):

Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures.

Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI):

GFSI (www.mygfsi.com) is an international alliance started by the world's largest food retailers. GFSI has benchmarked the leading global food safety schemes and integrated them so that when a manufacturer is compliant with a GFSI-benchmarked scheme, it is automatically accepted as equivalent to all other corresponding GFSI-recognized standards.

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI):

Globally applicable sustainability reporting guidelines to assist corporations in reporting on the economic, environmental and social performance of their operations.

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup:

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, presented by Loblaw Companies Limited, is one of the largest direct action conservation programs in Canada. A conservation initiative of the Vancouver Aquarium and WWF, it aims to promote understanding of shoreline litter issues by engaging Canadians in rehabilitating shoreline areas through cleanups. The initiative is made possible from partial proceeds of Loblaw's charge-for-plastic shopping bag program.

Green CommUnity School Grants:

The Green CommUnity School Grants program helps foster innovation for the environment among Canada's youth by providing grants of up to $5,000 to Canadian elementary and secondary schools working on conservation projects. Spearheaded by WWF, the program is made possible from partial proceeds of Loblaw's charge-for-plastic shopping bag program.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:

The release of atmospheric gases that trap heat from the sun and warm the planet's surface. Human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and the deforestation of tropical forests have contributed to elevated levels of GHGs (especially carbon dioxide and methane) in recent decades.

Guiding Stars:

An in-store tool that rates all food products up to three stars based on their nutritional value to help guide customers to healthier food options.

Intermodal transportation:

The use of more than one mode of transport (e.g., ship, rail and truck) to ship goods.

Light-emitting diode (LED):

LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are a form of lighting that is extremely energy efficient and long-lasting. LED lights last up to 2.5 times longer and use as much as 56% less electricity than standard fluorescent lighting.

Lighting retrofit:

Changing the component parts or an entire lighting fixture to reduce electricity consumption.

Long-combination vehicle (LCV):

In Canada, any combination of tractor unit and semi-trailers more than 25 metres in overall length is considered to be an LCV. LCVs can pull more volume using the same power source – leading to fewer trucks on the road, improved fuel efficiency and a reduced carbon footprint.

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC):

An independent, non-profit organization that maintains the most widely respected global standard for the certification of wild-capture fisheries as sustainable and well managed. MSC harnesses market forces to drive change on the water by recognizing and rewarding sustainable fisheries, influencing the choices people make when buying seafood, and working with our partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis.

MSC chain-of-custody (CoC):

The MSC chain-of-custody standard for seafood traceability makes sure that the MSC label is only displayed on seafood from an MSC certified sustainable fishery. It assures consumers and seafood buyers that the fish they are buying can be traced back to a fishery that meets the MSC environmental standard for sustainable fishing.

National Sweater Day:

On a set day in February, Canadians are asked to put on their favourite sweater and turn the heat down a few degrees to help WWF take action against climate change and work toward a sustainable future. National Sweater Day is made possible from partial proceeds of Loblaw's charge-for-plastic shopping bag program.

Ontario Corn Fed Beef (OCFB):

The Ontario Corn Fed Beef program provides consumers with an identifiable Ontario brand of beef – known to be consistent, premium and locally raised. The feed of cattle plays a big role in the flavour of the beef. In this program, cattle consume a high percentage of corn in their diets, giving the beef superior marbling which makes it the most tender, tasty beef anywhere.

Palm oil:

A type of vegetable oil, derived from the palm fruit, grown on the African oil palm tree. Oil palms originated in West Africa, but can flourish wherever heat and rainfall are abundant. Today, almost all palm oil is produced in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET):

A commonly used plastic that is transparent, lightweight, strong, safe, shatterproof and readily recyclable.

Transcritical refrigeration system:

An advanced refrigeration system that uses carbon dioxide as its sole refrigerant.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2010 emission standards:

These stringent standards, which took effect in January 2010, are aimed at reducing atmospheric pollution by significantly reducing the amount of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and hydrocarbon emissions from diesel engine-powered heavy trucks.

Wild-caught (seafood):

Seafood harvested from their natural marine habitat.

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