Evolving with higher expectations

Since bol first became a B Corp in 2023, expectations have continued to evolve. B Lab’s strengthened standards now require companies to meet mandatory requirements across seven impact topics: Purpose and Stakeholder Governance, Fair Work, Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Human Rights, Climate Action, Environmental Stewardship and Circularity, and Government Affairs and Collective Action. “Being a B Corp is about taking responsibility, being transparent, and continuously improving,” says Dennis van den Berg, Director ESG at bol.

The recertification reflects the steps bol has taken in recent years to embed sustainability and social impact more deeply across the business. From working closely with partners and suppliers to reducing environmental impact and strengthening inclusion, bol continues to look for ways to make everyday decisions count.

Building on progress

In recent years, bol has continued to turn its sustainability ambitions into tangible results. The company is making strong progress toward its climate goals; by the end of 2025, bol had already achieved more than 95.2% of the emissions reductions needed to meet its target of reducing Scope 1 and 2 by 2030. Smarter packaging solutions are also helping reduce materials use and lower emissions across its logistics operations. In logistics, smarter packaging machines are helping reduce environmental impact by using 27% less cardboard and 60% less glue per parcel, resulting in an average reduction of 28% in CO₂e emissions per shipment.

At the same time, bol is advancing circularity by expanding its assortment of refurbished products from four to 80 categories. The company has also strengthened its approach to responsible business conduct across its value chain. Through enhanced risk assessments and closer collaboration with suppliers, the company is taking more targeted action on topics such as climate impact and human rights.

B Corp certification for Ampère

Ampère, bol’s delivery company, now also meets B Lab’s standards and mandatory requirements across all seven impact areas, which means they can now officially call themselves a B Corp-certified company.

By maximizing electric deliveries and optimizing routes based on parcel size and weight, the company reduced CO₂ emissions per parcel by 85% in 2025. To address remaining emissions, Ampère also invests in climate projects and innovative technologies for permanent carbon removal.

Bol is not the only brand of Ahold Delhaize with a B Corp certification. Albert Heijn received the B Corp certification in 2024 as well. Read more about this achievement here.

Expanding our own‑brand products ranges
Own brands are one of the most important tools our brands have to help families access quality products at competitive prices. They offer greater control over the supply chain so they can better control costs and optimize sourcing and packaging. They also enable our brands to use their deep knowledge of customers to create products that meet local needs.  

Our brands continue to grow and expand these differentiating ranges – striving to reach our goal of making own brands around 45% of total food sales by 2028. In 2025, our brands introduced 1,100 new own-brand products in the U.S. and 1,450 in Europe, including 250 entry-priced products. Each of our European brands offers over 900 Price Favorite products, providing customers with greater choice and value. Own brands continue to outpace the rest of the products in our brands’ stores in terms of sales and volume, showing they are well appreciated by customers.


 
Price investments in the U.S.
By strategically lowering prices on key products and broadening their everyday low-price assortments, our brands are building customer trust, driving volume growth and increasing market share. Our Ahold Delhaize USA brands are launching their second round of price investments this year, toward a total of $1 billion planned between 2025 and 2028. Some local examples of how the U.S. brands are lowering prices to make groceries more affordable include:

• Stop & Shop has been lowering everyday prices across key states and will expand these price investments across its full fleet of stores by the end of 2026.
• The GIANT Company has launched its “Simply Low” campaign that includes price investments, particularly on own-brand products, to keep groceries more affordable.
• Giant Food has lowered the price of hundreds of products across its own-brand portfolio through its “Fresh Low Prices” initiative.
   

Saving to invest for customers
Through our company-wide Save for Our Customers program, we aim to save €5 billion between 2025 and 2028, to be reinvested into our winning customer value proposition, technology and sustainability agenda to fuel future growth. The program focuses on areas such as sourcing, simplification initiatives, automation, and further leveraging the power of data and AI across Ahold Delhaize. As part of it, our brands have local savings initiatives in place, such as Buy Better at Albert Heijn and Delhaize, which expands customers’ access to quality food by generating savings through tailored purchasing strategies, value chain optimization and synergies between the two brands.

In 2025, we achieved €1.3 billion in cost savings through the program, to fund all the things that create value for customers, including smart technology, modern and inviting stores, more sustainable refrigeration and expanded electric vehicle fleets for online deliveries. We expect to save at least another €1.25 billion in 2026.



Tailoring promotions to create more value
Our brands’ loyalty programs are increasingly helping customers access offers that are personalized to their needs, further driving value and helping make shopping more affordable. Each year, our brands provide billions of tailored offers to customers – and they continue to optimize the way they deliver these offers, ensuring they are increasingly relevant and make it easier for customers to save in ways that fit their daily lives. Our U.S. brands delivered over 14.2 billion personalized offers in 2025, up a whopping 18% over the previous year.

We aim to reach 80% omnichannel loyalty sales penetration by 2028 – and are transforming our loyalty programs to get there. All our European brands have recently launched new or enhanced digital features as part of their loyalty programs, such as a new My Albert app in the Czech Republic and an award-winning AB Plus program in Greece. Albert Heijn rolled out an AI-powered assistant, Steijn, that is helping customers figure out what to make for dinner by suggesting personalized recipes and step-by-step guidance – making it easier for people to save money by eating at home.
 

Sourcing together across our European brands
Sourcing together is another way our brands can save money that can be invested into affordable prices for customers. Our European brands, in particular, put a strong focus on shared sourcing and are working to expand these efforts, with a focus on own-brand products. By harmonizing own-brand products – standardizing in areas like packaging, sourcing and production – they are able to create better economies of scale and a faster path to innovation. In 2025, our European brands expanded their joint sourcing portfolio with 167 new products, including 100 items in their Price Favorite range. 

During the first half of this year, our brands across the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Greece identified hundreds of key value items where they see further opportunities to harmonize products and take better advantage of our scale. These staple products are purchased frequently by our customers, so the ability to source together and lower prices on products like these helps make the average shopping basket more affordable.

In addition, our brands in Europe have worked with strategic purchasing alliances, such as Eurelec and Coopernic, for years, leveraging our scale to deliver value to customers while maintaining strong relationships with suppliers.

For more information on how our European brands leverage shared sourcing, see our recent article on ‘Joint sourcing for more affordable, healthy and sustainable food in Europe’.
 

Building trust – and a stronger business
All our brands’ efforts to lower prices and deliver better value show customers that we’re there for them – that we value their loyalty and are earning their trust. And the results prove making everyday food more affordable is not only good for our customers, it supports the long-term resilience and growth of all our brands.

Yellow tags
The new price reductions apply across nearly all departments and include both national brands and Stop & Shop private label products. The focus is on frequently purchased products, including everyday favorites such as pick-your-own bagels from the Stop & Shop Bakery. Customers can easily spot the lower-priced items in store with yellow tags highlighting the new everyday price compared to the previous price.

More than 350 stores
With this latest investment, Stop & Shop has now implemented lower everyday prices in more than 350 stores across the Northeast, reinforcing its commitment to delivering value for customers in a challenging economic environment.

Supporting customer choice by providing easy access to affordable and healthy food options is central to the customer value proposition across Ahold Delhaize’s local brands. Strategic price investments help support families in a challenging economic environment, while also maintaining a competitive edge.

Read more about how our brands remain committed to offering affordable products in our 2025 Annual Report.

What Product Carbon Footprinting means

• Prioritize actions that strengthen long-term supply resilience and food security.
• Better recognize and support suppliers who are investing in lower-impact production.
• Inform decisions on assortment, sourcing, and innovation.
• Better identify where supply chains may be more vulnerable to climate and cost pressures.
• Unlock new opportunities to reduce emissions across our value chain.
• In short, this shifts us from managing overall emissions to better managing risk and opportunity across our value chain.

Working with partners and suppliers
To support this transition, we are partnering with HowGood, to build product-level insights across our assortments. We will also work directly with suppliers – through the HowGood platform and one-on-one engagement – to gather better data and reflect the actions they are taking to reduce their footprint.

This collaboration is essential. Progress at scale depends on working together across the value chain and grounding decisions in how food is produced.

We are also contributing to broader industry efforts to help establish more consistent approaches to product-level emissions data, including the WBCSD Partnership for Carbon Transparency (PACT) and the Global Sustainability Transition Alliance (GSTA), a program delivered by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and Wageningen University and Research.

Revisiting our baseline
As PCF provides a more accurate and detailed view of our emissions, we will recalculate our 2020 scope 3 purchased goods baseline to ensure full comparability over time. Any changes will reflect improved data quality, not a change in our targets or underlying performance.

Looking ahead
The transition to PCF is not an end in itself. It is a step toward building a more resilient business. Better product-level insights will help us decarbonize our value chain. And more importantly, strengthen supply security, support suppliers through transition, and enable better commercial decisions over time.

In a more volatile and resource-constrained world, this level of insight is becoming essential to how we operate.

For more information about our climate agenda as part of our Healthier Communities and Planet strategic priority, please visit our Annual Report.

1. Use Less: becoming more energy-efficient
The cleanest energy is the energy you don’t use. Across our brands, we continually improve energy efficiency with LED lighting, heat recuperation, heat pumps, smarter refrigeration systems, and better insulation. These upgrades make our stores, distribution centers, and offices significantly more energy‑efficient and fit for the future.
 
2. Make Our Own: generating renewable power on-site
Where possible, we generate our own clean electricity. Thousands of solar panels on the roofs of our stores, distribution centers, and offices help power our operations with sunshine. This reduces our reliance on the grid and allows us to produce renewable electricity close to where it’s used. In 2025, the use of solar panels enabled us to increase the electricity generated and used on-site by 62% compared to 2024.

3. Buy Green: bringing new renewable energy onto the grid
It is not feasible to cut back our energy consumption to zero, nor to generate all the electricity we require ourselves. To cover the rest of our electricity needs, we invest in renewable energy through long‑term contracts. This is where Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) come in.

What are Power Purchase Agreements?
PPAs are long-term offtake agreements between a renewable energy developer and an electricity consumer (usually a company) that make it possible for a solar/wind park to come into existence. Through these agreements, a minimum income level is guaranteed to a developer for the electricity generated by the renewable energy installation. Having secured a steady income flow, the developer is able to finance the construction of the project. In return, the consumer receives renewable energy or renewable energy certificates.

There are two types of PPAs:

• Direct PPAs are long‑term agreements in which the buyer receives electricity from a nearby renewable energy project. It usually requires the developer and consumer to operate in close vicinity.
• Virtual PPAs (VPPAs) work similarly, but instead of receiving electricity physically, the buyer supports the development of the project financially and receives the renewable energy certificates it generates. The renewable energy generated is sold into the local grid, for example to households or businesses in that market.

By entering into a PPA, companies like Ahold Delhaize directly support the creation of renewable power plants, which is essential to accelerate the transition to a low‑carbon economy.

Examples from our markets
In Europe, we have supported a large solar plant development in Spain, and new wind farms in the Netherlands, Romania and Finland through a total so far of four (V)PPAs. In the U.S., our local brands have entered into a total of eleven agreements tied to underlying PPAs for renewable energy to support the construction of solar projects on the East Coast, between Maine and Maryland/DC.

These projects generate nearly 2,000 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually and significantly increase the share of our operations powered by renewables.

Looking ahead
Going forward, we will continue advancing our efforts in reducing energy usage, generating our own renewable electricity and buying green energy. Every partnership, efficiency upgrade and renewable agreement brings us closer to achieving our climate targets and ambitions, enables us to contribute to the renewable energy infrastructure in the U.S. and Europe, and strengthens our energy resilience. 

For more information about our Healthier Communities and Planet strategic priority, please visit our Annual Report. 

To learn more about how we bring Power Purchase Agreements to life, watch Isabelle’s story below:

• Direct relief amid rising demand for food donations (U.S.): Ahold Delhaize’s local U.S. brands have stepped up in their community support, a few examples: The GIANT Company donated 20,000 holiday turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving, and Food Lion provided $1.6 million in emergency donations to 32 regional food banks. Hannaford recently invested over $1 million to provide direct support to food banks and strengthen programs that expand access to fresh, locally grown food. This is during a time when food banks are reporting a significant increase in the number of individuals and families in need of support.
• Investing in infrastructure (Europe): An efficient food supply chain is essential. In the Netherlands, Albert Heijn leveraged its national sourcing and distribution infrastructure to donate products worth €4.4 million to the Dutch Food Bank (‘Voedselbanken Nederland’), strengthening access to nutritious products within the Dutch food bank system. In the Czech Republic, local brand Albert donated its 13^th and 14^th refrigerated vans to food banks and continued its support, contributing to a record total of 4,345 tons of donated food.
• Focus on the next generation (Belgium): Because healthier eating starts at the youngest generation, access to healthy food for children remains a priority. In addition to food donations, our local brands have invested in education, such as Delhaize’s "GoodCook" program, which reached more than 70,000 children last year with workshops on healthy and sustainable nutrition.
• Emergency relief during crises (Indonesia): Super Indo demonstrated its agility by providing direct food aid and essential goods to thousands of residents affected by floods and landslides in Sumatra and Aceh in December of 2025. 

2026: strengthening the partnership with The Global FoodBanking Network
To address food insecurity structurally, Ahold Delhaize has extended its partnership with The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN). Building on years of local collaboration between its brands and community food banks, the partnership strengthens impact at Group level and enables shared learning. Together, they work to reduce food waste and expand access to surplus food. In 2026, joint projects with local brands will support communities in markets including the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and the United States, reflecting local priorities and delivering meaningful benefits.
 

^{1Global food insecurity has risen for six consecutive years, with over 295 million people across 53 countries facing acute food insecurity in 2024. Source: 2025 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC).}
 

As our great local brands have worked closely with food banks in their own communities for many years, our partnership with GFN helps amplify their work at Group level while also creating opportunities for shared learning. Together with GFN, we are helping reduce food waste and increase access to surplus food. This work helps ensure more people can access food both now and in the future, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable food system. Tackling food insecurity and food waste is a core part of our Healthy Communities and Planet strategic priority, which recognizes that the well-being of people and the health of the planet are deeply interconnected.

This year, Ahold Delhaize’s collaboration with GFN has evolved to include stronger involvement from our local brands. By working together with both our brands and GFN, we identified the community needs that shaped a new selection of initiatives for 2026, building on the projects supported in the past year. This shared approach helps ensure the projects reflect local priorities and deliver meaningful benefits for the communities our brands serve.
 

New projects for 2026
In 2026, Ahold Delhaize and GFN, in collaboration with our local brands, will support these initiatives in markets where our brands operate, including the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and the United States. 

Czech Republic: Czech Federation of Food Banks
We will support improvements in storage processes, increased storage capacity, and distribution to people in need in one of the poorest regions. These changes will help the Czech food bank network process larger volumes of donations more efficiently and increase their visibility and brand awareness in the community.

The Netherlands: Voedselbanken Nederland
In the Netherlands, our support focuses on improving cooling capacity for fruit and vegetable distribution. This will help increase the availability of fresh produce for people utilizing food banks.

Indonesia: SOS Indonesia
We will support food rescue and distribution activities in Jakarta, where SOS Indonesia works with hotels and multinational companies to recover surplus food and redistribute it safely.

United States: Feeding America and regional food banks
Support in the United States will be coordinated through Feeding America’s Community Response Fund to reach several regional food banks, including Vermont Food Bank, Good Shepherd Food Bank​, Food Bank for NYC​, Interfaith Food Shuttle, Capital Area Food Bank​ and Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. This support comes at a particularly important moment as communities across the United States are facing higher demand due to the increasing pressure on federal nutrition assistance programs. Temporary interruptions to government operations and reduced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have meant more families are turning to local food banks for help. By supporting Feeding America and these regional partners, we are helping strengthen distribution capacity and sustain essential food access services during a time of heightened need.

Supporting and strengthening food banks through GFN initiatives
Alongside the country specific projects, Ahold Delhaize will continue to support GFN’s broader work to strengthen and sustain food banks globally. This includes:

• data and insights that help food banks improve operations
• virtual learning and knowledge sharing opportunities
• technical support for food recovery
• employee engagement opportunities across our brands
• agricultural recovery work that helps increase the efficient rescue of surplus produce

These initiatives help ensure that food banks everywhere – not only those in our operating markets – can serve more people with more nutritious food.

Learn more about the Global FoodBanking Network
GFN recently released its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting progress across its global network and the impact that partners including, Ahold Delhaize, help make possible.

The two new-to-be-built onshore wind farms will be situated in Salo-Ylikoski and Korkeamaa in Western Finland. Together, the wind farms will span more than 2,400 hectares and include 24 wind turbines. Both projects are being developed by OX2 AB, a Sweden-based renewable energy company. The VPPA is expected to become operational in 2028.

Contributing to Ahold Delhaize’s renewable electricity ambitions
The wind farms are projected to generate around 472 GWh of renewable energy annually, equivalent to the annual electricity usage of approximately 94,000 Finnish households. Ahold Delhaize will contract approximately 70% of the wind farms’ output and will receive Guarantees of Origin for a period of ten years. It brings Ahold Delhaize’s future renewable electricity coverage in Europe from 56% to 76%, based on projected consumption across its European brands.

Frank Sluis, CFO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia said: “This VPPA marks another important milestone in our ambition to fully match the electricity consumption in our European operations with renewable energy by 2035. Through strategic partnerships and long-term agreements like this, we are proud to support the continued growth of renewable energy infrastructure across Europe.”

Building momentum across Europe
This marks Ahold Delhaize’s fourth Power Purchase Agreement in Europe, following a direct Power Purchase Agreement in the Netherlands in 2023, a VPPA in Spain in 2024 and a VPPA in Romania earlier this year, reflecting the Company’s continued endeavors to scaling renewable electricity solutions across the region. These agreements form part of Ahold Delhaize’s wider efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its own operations (scope 1 and 2) by 2040. 

Our brands have several initiatives in which they work with suppliers to drive reductions in scope 3 emissions while trying to build a more sustainable and resilient food system.

How Ahold Delhaize USA is partnering with suppliers
Just last month, Ahold Delhaize USA (ADUSA) introduced their partnership with Danone North America and The Nature Conservancy, kicking off their first dairy-focused pilot, aiming to reduce methane from yogurt production over the next five years. Additionally, ADUSA is partnering with other major suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support regenerative farming across the country. With Kellanova and Bartlett, ADUSA is piloting regenerative wheat farming in North Carolina to improve soil health and resilience, with products like Cheez-It® and Club® crackers soon reaching shelves.

Together with General Mills, ADUSA is co-investing in supply sheds across Kansas and Saskatchewan, bringing regenerative practices to 70,000 acres of wheat and oat farmland by 2025. And with Campbell’s, ADUSA launched a three-year potato farming initiative across 1,000 acres in three states, helping farms adopt practices such as cover cropping, nutrient management, and renewable energy. Each of these collaborations provide valuable experience and demonstrate how working with suppliers at the source can drive reductions of their emissions and our scope 3 emissions. Read more about these initiatives here.


Initiatives driving sustainable agriculture and collaborative decarbonization
Across Europe, Ahold Delhaize’s brands are advancing collaborations that support farmers and suppliers, reduce emissions, and support more sustainable practices. To support suppliers in their decarbonization processes, Ahold Delhaize’s European brands launched open-source climate hubs last year, online platforms where suppliers can access guidance, training, and resources such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to measure and reduce value-chain emissions (scope 3).

In the Netherlands, Albert Heijn’s Better for Nature & Farmer program engages nearly 1,200 farmers and growers through multi-year partnerships focused on revenue models, animal welfare, and guaranteed offtake. In 2023 the program was opened up to other stakeholders as an independent foundation. Albert Heijn also co-developed the WWF Basket approach with WWF NL, aiming to halve the ecological footprint of the Dutch food system by 2030.

In Belgium, Delhaize introduced the Cultivation Academy earlier this year in collaboration with produce supplier Bakker and agricultural expert Arvesta. This initiative empowers local growers to adopt regenerative agriculture practices, improving soil health, biodiversity, and water efficiency, while offering consumers vegetables with a smaller ecological footprint. To support farmers in this transition, Delhaize provides additional compensation models, ensuring sustainable practices remain economically viable.

And because working together better positions us to enable progress, Ahold Delhaize also launched the Healthy Future Academy, an internal learning program designed to equip associates with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to further integrate health and sustainability in their daily work.   


Further information
For more information and resources, see the following:

• Ahold Delhaize’s 2024 Annual Report
• Ahold Delhaize’s Climate page
• Ahold Delhaize’s SBTi validated climate targets

Across Ahold Delhaize and our local brands, we aim to inspire customers and communities to engage in positive habits, by offering the right assortment, nudging them toward healthier lifestyles, and supporting them through education, inspiration and the use of technology. We are committed to making healthier choices more accessible and affordable, so they can become more easily attainable for all customers. 

Reformulating products and expanding healthier options
Our brands are continuously improving own-brand products by reformulating recipes and expanding healthier assortments. Because we manage these products within our value chain, we can directly make changes that support healthier choices. Our brands follow scientific nutrition guidance systems like Nutri-Score in Europe and Guiding Stars in the U.S., helping customers make informed decisions more easily.

For example, in 2024 Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, improved their own-brand products by reducing the equivalent of 72 million sugar cubes, 70,000 kilograms of salt and 240,000 kilograms of saturated fat compared to 2023. Additionally, Albert Heijn recently introduced 15 new products that combine animal- and plant-based ingredients. This mix provides a familiar taste and texture, with improved nutritional values (such as lower in saturated fat) and lower CO₂e emissions. In addition, they are priced the same or cheaper compared to their fully animal-based equivalents, making it easier for customers to choose more sustainably and healthier.

Secondly, Delhaize in Belgium recently announced that most of its own-brand range of canned vegetables (87%) will be free of added salt by 2026. While some products still require salt for preservation or taste, this significant shift is expected to reduce salt consumption in Belgian households by 7.71 tonnes.


Making healthier food more accessible
Affordability is key to enabling healthier choices. Among the 7,700 own-brand products our European brands offer at entry-level prices¹, many of them are healthier options. This helps make healthier food more accessible to a wider range of customers.

Earlier this year, Ahold Delhaize introduced 500 new own-brand products across Albert in the Czech Republic, Mega Image in Romania, Alfa Beta in Greece, and Maxi in Serbia. These additions allow our brands to offer high-quality, nutritious, and affordable options that meet local needs. At the same time, they help streamline production and distribution, supporting both efficiency and sustainability.

Encouraging healthier habits through loyalty and personalization
Helping customers build long-term healthier habits is a key focus. In Belgium, Delhaize’s SuperPlus loyalty program rewards customers with discounts on products that score A or B on the Nutri-Score scale. This encourages healthier shopping choices in a simple and direct way.

In Greece, Alfa Beta launched “Your personal dietician is here for you,” a personalized online platform that offers Mediterranean diet-based meal plans tailored to individual needs. Customers can order ingredients through the AB Eshop and earn AB Plus coupons for healthier purchases, making nutritious eating more convenient and rewarding.

In the U.S., Giant Food’s Giant Flexible Rewards loyalty program encourages more nutritious  choices by offering double points on products rated by the Guiding Stars nutrition program. Customers can redeem points for everyday essentials, making better shopping more accessible and rewarding.


Making healthier living part of everyday life 
Our brands also provide practical tools, education, and community support to help customers live healthier lives every day.

Our local brands in the U.S. offer free access to registered dietitians and online nutrition education. For example Hannaford’s Healthy Living video series can also help customers make informed choices in an engaging and accessible way.

In Serbia, Maxi is promoting healthy habits among children through its Healthy Food Every Day school program, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education. Since 2023, the program has reached over 23,000 fourth-grade students across 235 schools, teaching them about nutrition, hydration, and physical activity through interactive lessons.

While in the U.S., Food Lion is also encouraging children to learn all about nutrition with Guiding Stars Nights. On select nights throughout the school year, local Food Lion stores transform into a real-life classroom where students and their families learn about the Guiding Stars nutrition program and how easy it is to locate wholesome and nutritious options rated ‘good, better and best’ in the store.

At Group level, Ahold Delhaize aims to amplify the work of our local brands and their local foodbank partners, by engaging in a partnership with the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) – an international non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating food insecurity while reducing food loss and waste.

^{1 This figure is according to Ahold Delhaize's 2024 Annual Report (page 9).}

Reducing food waste across our brands 
By combining smart technology with a strong focus on sustainability, our brands are making real progress in reducing food waste. From intelligent order algorithms that optimize inventory, to creative solutions like turning left-over produce, or produce not fit for sale, into new dishes such as banana bread or cauliflower rice – we’re finding new ways to give food a second life. Here are more examples of how our brands are tackling food waste: 

• Last-Minute savings and tech-driven freshness: Products nearing their expiration date are offered at special discounts, giving customers great deals while preventing food from being wasted. A recent example of this is Albert Heijn’s newly launched Last Chance Bargains which uses smart technology in the AH app to bundle existing initiatives that offer extra discounts on products with a short shelf life or discontinued products. Albert Heijn also uses electronic shelf pricing which automatically marks down product prices as they near their expiration date, helping reduce food waste and offer better deals to customers.
• Diverting food from landfill: When food can’t be sold or consumed, our brands try to find alternative ways to recycle it, like turning it into animal feed, renewable energy, or industrial materials. For example, our brand Giant Food in the U.S. partnered with Divert to process nearly 80 million pounds of unsold food since 2022, preventing over 37,000 tonnes of CO₂e emissions. Their joint recycling program transforms unsold food into clean energy, helping reduce landfill waste and environmental impact. 
   

Fighting food waste and feeding communities  
Our great local brands do much more than sell groceries – many of them actively address food insecurity in the communities they serve by donating food, providing grants that address food insecurity and aim to ensure food is saved before going to waste. In 2024, our brands donated 75,000 tonnes of food waste or 25% of unsold food. Beyond these donations of unsold products, our brands also run a wide range of initiatives, such as Food Lion Feeds, Stop & Shop’s School Food Pantry program, The GIANT Company’s eliminating hunger initiatives, Giant Food’s community programs, and Hannaford’s food access initiatives. These programs often provide food or funding to strengthen community food access, complementing the direct donation of unsold products and ensuring support reaches those who need it most.  

At Group level, in 2024 Ahold Delhaize entered a partnership with The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), an international non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating food insecurity while reducing food loss and waste. We’ve extended this partnership to continue supporting local communities through strong collaborations with organizations like Feeding America and the European Food Banks Federation. Together, we’re helping expand and strengthen food banks so more people have access to the food they need.  

Rethinking packaging for a circular future 
Within its own operations, Ahold Delhaize’s approach toward packaging is focused on own-brand products and their primary plastic packaging, as we have better influence over the related processes within the value chain. By eliminating unnecessary packaging, increasing recycled content, and shifting to reusable options, our brands are driving progress toward a more circular system.    

Guided by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), together with our brands, we’re taking a full life-cycle approach to packaging. Here’s how we’re making it happen: 

1. Eliminate: We’re removing  unnecessary plastic through smarter design and innovation. This includes reducing packaging weight and exploring alternatives that maintain product quality without excess material. 

2. Shift to reuse: Moving beyond single-use, we’re exploring reusable alternatives.  

3. Shift to recyclable or compostable: Moving toward own-brand packaging that is recyclable or compostable in practice, not just in theory. In this sense, we analyze the availability of recycling infrastructure to choose packaging which have higher chances of being recycled.  

4. Decouple from fossil fuels: We’re cutting back on virgin plastic and using recycled content wherever possible. Additionally,  some of our brands are investigating renewable feedstocks from responsibly managed sources to rely less on plastic derived from fossil fuels. 
     

Just last week, our Belgian brand, Delhaize, shared that it has saved more than 3,668 tonnes of plastic – the result of more than 135 concrete initiatives since 2019. Read more about Delhaize’s work in reducing plastics here (translate to English).   

• Foundations course: a practical introduction, covering the health and sustainability challenges in the value chain and how each role contributes. It offers a basis to engage customers and partners, collaborate with colleagues and innovate more effectively.
• Function-specific modules: complementary courses that dive deeper into health and sustainability topics tailored to specific fields of expertise, such as Finance, Sourcing and Tech.
• Real-world inspiration: case studies and video stories from teams across Ahold Delhaize who are implementing health and sustainability solutions in their daily work.
• Interactive and flexible: bite-sized online lessons, supported by live sessions, designed to fit into busy schedules and spark action.
   

For more information about Ahold Delhaize’s health and sustainability strategic priority, please visit its Annual Report.

Since joining forces last year, Ahold Delhaize and GFN have helped provide the equivalent of 2.9 million meals. Through this partnership, we have supported GFN’s services to food banks in more than 50 countries, helping to strengthen and sustain their operations, including:
 

• Customized training and technical assistance: supporting food bank operations based on priority needs, fostering resilience, compliance, and sustainable growth.
• Knowledge sharing and peer network: facilitating the exchange of best practices, adaptable programs, and innovative approaches across borders.
• Capacity-building grants: fueling innovation and supporting growth in areas of efficiency, nutrition, and resilience.
• Agricultural recovery and sourcing partnerships: developing strategic sourcing partnerships across the supply chain to increase the distribution of nutritious foods, including the agricultural sector.

In addition to these efforts, our partnership has supported four local initiatives in various markets where Ahold Delhaize brands operate.

Greece: supporting the Athens Central Grocery Market surplus agricultural recovery program
Since September 2024, the surplus agricultural recovery program from the Athens Central Grocery Market (ACGM) has recovered and redistributed more than 75,934 kilograms of fresh produce from 29 market vendors. This initiative has reached 42,584 people through 87 local charities across the Attica region of Athens.

Distribution combines warehouse dispatch and direct delivery by volunteers, with partner charities becoming increasingly creative and efficient to manage the short shelf life of fresh produce. To balance demand, the food bank is expanding partnerships by engaging more charities and vendors, recently connecting with 23 new merchants – half expressing interest and two donating surplus food immediately. With ongoing community engagement through leaflets, newsletters, and in-person visits, the initiative is on track to meet its September 2025 goals of distributing 50,000 kilograms and engaging 20 vendors.
 

Romania: facilitating the expansion of the Bucharest Food Bank warehouse
The Bucharest Food Bank’s move to a new warehouse in September 2024 has enhanced its capacity to receive, store, and distribute food efficiently. The modern facility, featuring 224 m² of cold storage and energy-efficient systems, now supports over 57,500 people through 173 charitable organizations.

Since relocating, 14 new product donation contracts have been secured, increasing the amount of food recovered and redistributed. With quicker transportation routes and better loading facilities, they can now serve their beneficiaries more efficiently and reliably.
 

Indonesia: supporting surplus recovery activities for SOS Bali’s Healthy School Meals program
SOS Bali Food Bank’s Healthy School Meals program has served more than 19,466 nutritious meals to 517 children in two elementary schools since November 2024. Food recovery partnerships with hotels, suppliers, and local farms have rescued 3,550 kilograms of food—including 3,205 kilograms of fresh produce incorporated into these meals.

In addition to providing food, SOS Bali’s volunteers prepare, cook, and serve meals while also coordinating nutrition education, hygiene, and sports sessions—promoting healthy habits and wellbeing among the students.
 

United States: supporting Feeding America’s Food Rescue Challenge
In the United States, we supported Feeding America’s Food Rescue Challenge, aimed at securing 5 billion pounds (approx. 227 million kilograms) of rescued food annually. Our partnership helped secure investments necessary to sustain and scale the food rescue efforts, ensuring that food banks and partner agencies can effectively distribute resources within their communities.

“We’re grateful for the strong and positive collaboration we’ve built with GFN over the past year, and excited to continue this collaboration,” said Alex Holt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ahold Delhaize. “By amplifying the impactful work our local brands have been doing for years—supporting food banks, reducing food waste, and caring deeply for their local communities—we are pleased to strengthen that impact by partnering with GFN and combining expertise, commitment, and shared purpose to create lasting impact across communities.”

Inspiring healthy habits to thousands of pupils
Maxi is committed to offering healthier choices across its stores and actively promotes the importance of balanced nutrition for a healthier lifestyle. Understanding that healthy habits begin early, the brand launched its Healthy Food Every Day school program in partnership with the Ministry of Education to encourage healthy eating among children.

Since its launch in September 2023, the program has reached fourth-grade students across Serbia, educating them on proper nutrition, hydration, and physical activity. It has visited 235 primary schools across the country engaging over 23,000 pupils through interactive and educational lessons and is set to continue next year.

Children’s responses to the program have been consistently positive, particularly for its interactive lectures. A highlight was the use of handheld voting devices, which allowed children to respond to pre-set questions such as “do you play any sports?” and “how often do you eat fruit?” making the experience both fun and informative. The insights gathered from this activity provided valuable information on students’ eating habits, later showcased at a public exhibition of the Healthy Food Every Day program held at the Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade.
 

Daily food donations make a lasting impact
Maxi has also been working diligently in its food donation efforts. In 2024 alone, nearly 2,000 tons of food was delivered to people in need through its donation programs. The importance of daily direct food donations carried out through the Food for All program at 14 locations across Serbia have been critical in its success. Nebojša Milosavljević, representative of Food Bank Vojvodina, comments “It is important for such support to be continuous and organized, as regular deliveries make a real difference in the lives of those who need help the most.”

“I would like to thank all our partners who support us in the programs we carry out for our community”, said Gorica Jovović, Brand President of Delhaize Serbia. “Both educating pupils about healthy nutrition and donating food to citizens would not be possible without all the teachers, schools, food banks, and humanitarian organizations. Our strength lies in the trust and partnerships we build - and we are committed to upholding this in the years to come.”

Supporting local producers and pesticide-free produce
Thanks to the strategic cooperation with more than 200 local producers of fruits and vegetables, Maxi customers have enjoyed a wide selection of locally sourced products at Maxi farmers’ markets over the past year. In addition, the company’s partnership with the Faculty of Agriculture has led to a significant expansion in the range of fruits and vegetables without pesticide residues. Since the launch of the Zero Residue program in 2022 – with just one supplier and seven products – the initiative has grown to include five suppliers and 17 certified products by the end of 2024. During that same period, the volume of Zero Residue products increased by an impressive 195%, reflecting both the program’s success and rising consumer demand for healthier, residue-free options.

Learn more about Maxi’s ongoing efforts in their 2024 Sustainability Report, available in Serbian and English. For more information and examples of our local brands’ approaches to healthier and more sustainable choices, please visit this page.

The new VPPA relates to a new-to-be-built onshore wind farm in Galaţi County, in eastern Romania and is owned by HELLENiQ Renewables, a wholly owned subsidiary of HELLENiQ ENERGY Holdings (“HELLENiQ ENERGY”). The project was developed and will be constructed by OX2 and is expected to become operational by 2027.

Long-term renewable energy agreement in Romania 
The wind farm is projected to generate around 309 GWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the annual electricity usage of approximately 89,000 Romanian households. Ahold Delhaize will contract approximately 50% of the wind farm’s output and will receive Guarantees of Origin (renewable energy certificates) for a period of twelve years.  

The VPPA will deliver around 158,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy per year, which equates to approximately 10% of Ahold Delhaize’s estimated electricity consumption for its European operations in 2030, including planned growth.  

Due to the current structure of the Romanian Guarantees of Origin market, which is currently not integrated into the European AIB (Association of Issuing Bodies) system, local sourcing was a necessary and important consideration. This VPPA enables Ahold Delhaize to support increasing Romania’s renewable electricity supply, while progressing towards its broader climate ambitions.

Responsible energy solutions 
“We’re pleased to support the development of new renewable energy capacity in Romania through this long-term agreement,” said Frank Sluis, CFO at Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia. “It also brings us another step closer to our net-zero carbon emissions goals in Europe, and we’re grateful to be working with partners who share our responsible energy solutions ambitions.” 

Vasillis Tsaitas, CFO at HELLENiQ ENERGY added: “This partnership underscores our commitment to sustainability and responsible energy practices, while marking another step in HELLENiQ ENERGY’s strategic expansion into the Romanian renewable energy sector. We are pleased to collaborate with a prominent international retailer such as Ahold Delhaize and facilitate its efforts in advancing sustainable energy initiatives.”  

Building on earlier progress
This marks Ahold Delhaize’s third Power Purchase Agreement, following a direct Power Purchase Agreement in the Netherlands in 2023 and a VPPA in Spain in 2024. These agreements form part of the Company’s wider efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its own operations (scope 1 and 2) by 2040 and strengthen its energy resilience. Through strategic partnerships and long-term investments, Ahold Delhaize continues to contribute to the development of renewable energy infrastructure across Europe.   


_{Photo credit: OX2}

The Summit opened with a warm welcome from CGF Managing Director Wai-Chan Chan and Board Co-Chairs Frans Muller, President & CEO of Ahold Delhaize, and Dirk Van de Put, Chairman & CEO of Mondelēz International. Together, they reflected on the coalition’s progress over the past two years and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration to address shared global challenges – from sustainability to consumer trust.

A standout moment was the keynote speech by Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who highlighted the central role of financial wellbeing for individuals in business success. She cited the Netherlands’ National Coalition for Financial Health, which aims to halve the number of financially vulnerable households by 2030, as a leading example. She urged companies to adopt similar efforts, focusing on early detection of financial stress and offering support to employees. Queen Máxima also called for stronger collaboration in building circular economies, referencing initiatives like the CGF’s Food Waste and Plastic Waste Coalitions, and spotlighted Dutch innovators such as InstockMarket and Avantium for their work in reducing waste and developing bioplastics.

CNN journalist and geopolitical analyst Fareed Zakaria brought a broader lens to the Summit, describing how the post-Cold War rise of globalization, technology, and social mobility has sparked not just growth but also cultural and political backlash. He pointed out that the biggest divides today aren’t between left and right, but between open and closed mindsets – shaped by education, geography, and worldview. Zakaria warned of the growing pressure on liberal democracy, and encouraged leaders to focus on deeper thinking rather than constant reaction. “Don’t confuse motion with progress,” he said – a reminder especially relevant in today’s fast-moving world.

Day two of the event turned attention to pressing social and environmental issues. Former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, now Chair of the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, joined IGA CEO John Ross in calling on companies to embed Human Rights Due Diligence throughout their supply chains. Sessions highlighted how predictive commerce and AI-driven customer journeys – showcased by Walmart International, Accenture, Nestlé, JD.com, and Ocado – are transforming retail. Carter Roberts, WWF US CEO, also emphasized the need to redesign the global food system, while the launch of CGF’s Climate Transition Coalition underscored industry momentum on climate action.

On day three Albert Heijn took the spotlight. Sonja Boelhouwer, Chief Operating Officer, and Noortje van Genugten, VP Products Operations, gave an energizing presentation on how Albert Heijn is using technology to promote healthier eating. They shared innovations such as dynamic markdowns to reduce food waste, the Scan & Kook (Cook) feature to inspire quick healthy meals, and Steijn, a new AI-powered assistant helping customers make better food choices.

Ahold Delhaize , CEO Frans Muller and CSO Alex Holt also participated in live (podcast) interviews with Omni Talk Retail. Frans highlighted the company’s focus on scalability and innovation to enhance customer experience and sustainability while Alex shared her knowledge on how retailers can implement sustainability practices on a large scale. Frans, together with Claude Sarrailh, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia, attended the Going for Gold lunch where they heard from Olympic athletes and discussed the parallels of what is needed to drive change and innovation both in sports and the business world. Frans also attended the Inclusivity Lunch where practical learnings on creating better accessibility for consumers with a disability were shared.

Launch of the Common Data Framework
Another key highlight from the Summit was the launch of The Consumer Good Forum’s Common Data Framework. With retailers using different metrics, formats and methodologies, the framework offers retailers common standards to help reduce inefficiencies and align industry efforts in data collection, particularly surrounding emissions and deforestation.  

The Summit concluded with the official leadership handover at CGF. Frans Muller and Dirk Van de Put passed the Co-Chair baton to Ramon Laguarta, Chairman & CEO PepsiCo, and Ken Murphy, Group CEO, Tesco. The CGF sincerely thank Frans for his dedicated leadership and the lasting impact he has made at the CGF. Ahold Delhaize remains fully committed to the Forum’s mission of driving positive change – together with our partners, for people and the planet.

To explore the role of food banks and the power of strategic partnerships, Ahold Delhaize interviewed Ignacio Gavilan, GFN’s Food Systems Partnerships Senior Director. With over 20 years of experience advising businesses on sustainable supply chains and ESG, he shares his insights on the importance of food banks, the value of partnerships like the one with Ahold Delhaize, and the innovations shaping the future of food recovery and redistribution.

What is the purpose of The Global FoodBanking Network? What role does it play in promoting food security and reducing food loss and waste globally?

Our mission at The Global FoodBanking Network is to nourish the world’s hungry by uniting and advancing food banks around the world. Today, we work with 64 food banking organizations in 54 countries. Our goal is always to help them to grow, expand and enhance the quality of the services they provide to people facing food insecurity. In 2024, our food banks provided food to more than 40 million people and we’re working towards a goal of feeding 50 million people by 2030.

Given your extensive experience with food systems, what first inspired you to get involved in these critical global concerns?

As Director of Sustainability at the Consumer Goods Forum for nine years, I worked closely with the top fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies on issues like deforestation-free commodities, plastic pollution, food waste and the decarbonization of food supply chains. Of all these, I found food waste reduction to be the most cost-effective and impactful solution available to decarbonize our activities and alleviate hunger.

How does the collaboration with Ahold Delhaize support GFN's purpose and strengthen its efforts?

Ahold Delhaize’s contributions to GFN are what allow us to provide the training and technical support that helps food banks grow around the world. But the relationship goes deeper than that. It facilitates and strengthens Ahold Delhaize's brands’ efforts with local food banks. Product donations are critical to food banks, and their partnerships can ensure that products reach food banks, meet high standards of food safety and product tracing, and share our mission of reducing food waste and feeding those in need.

What are the most significant changes you have seen in the way global food systems address food waste and hunger, and where do you see the partnership with Ahold Delhaize driving future progress?

We’ve seen some progress on the global stage, but not nearly enough. We research food laws around the world, and there’s a lot more that lawmakers could do to enable food donation and reduce food waste. Things like dual-date labeling – providing a “Best before” label for food quality in addition to a “Use by” label for food safety – and tax incentives for donating food can really increase food recovery and redistribution. A change in consumer mindset is also important. So much food that ends up in landfill is perfectly fit for human consumption. And even once it passes that point, there’s a lot we can do to reduce the environmental impact of food waste – like turning it into animal feed or compost. By working with food banks, Ahold Delhaize is demonstrating that just because a product is unsellable, it still holds value.

What are some of the key challenges you see in addressing food insecurity and food waste?

Major companies can get more involved in food loss and waste. One example is collaborative agreements that bring together the private sector with NGOs and the government to report their food waste metrics and set goals for reduction. Agreements like this exist across Europe and in countries like Mexico and South Africa – proving to be effective. Looking more broadly, the large cuts to foreign aid (especially USAID) will worsen food insecurity in places where hunger is severe. The cuts have not yet directly impacted The Global FoodBanking Network or our members, but we expect demand for food assistance to increase in places where aid cuts were most drastic.

What opportunities do you see for food retailers and manufacturers to make progress in future?

We continue to see progress from retailers and manufacturers in responsibly managing food waste in their own facilities. Going forward, I see opportunities to work with suppliers to ensure that we’re reducing food waste – and donating what can no longer be sold but is still safe to eat – along every link in the supply chain.

What advice would you give to people who want to get more involved in tackling food waste and hunger, both in their professional roles and in their personal lives?

Remember the importance of ongoing, small wins to keep demonstrating the ability to change. Small actions around our lives relating to our purchasing habits, the way we discard food, or how we plan our events are important. When it comes to radical change in transparency and accountability, I remain very optimistic.

GFN 2024 Annual Report

To learn more about GFN’s impact, explore their 2024 Annual Report, which highlights key achievements such as serving 40 million people, preventing 1.8 million metric tons of carbon emissions, and supporting 76,000 community organizations. 

SBTi framework
SBTi is a corporate climate action organization that enables companies and financial institutions to play their part in combating the climate crisis. It helps companies determine a pathway for reducing their GHG emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals. The SBTi is founded by, amongst others, the United Nations Global Compact and WWF.
 

Our climate approach
As food retailers, we are aware of how climate change impacts the way food is grown and will change our business, both now and in the future. From how and where products are produced and sourced, to what our brands’ stores look like, and how we heat or cool them. A healthy planet is a key component of our Healthy communities & planet strategic priority, and our approach to addressing climate change in our company focuses on both the impact of climate change on our business, and how our business activities impact the climate. For us, this means providing affordable, healthy food while partnering to drive decarbonization, protect nature and reduce waste.
 

Emission reduction targets
For companies, there are three scopes that together encompass their total carbon footprint. Scope 1 and 2 involve the carbon emissions of a company’s own business. For Ahold Delhaize and its brands, these GHG emissions mainly entail our own energy consumption, leakages from the refrigeration systems in stores and distribution centers, as well as owned transport. Scope 3 entails the GHG emissions of our value chain. This involves amongst others the carbon footprint of (the production and transportation of) all products that are sold in our stores or on our online platforms.
 

An overview of our targets

^{*for FLAG emissions, the target includes FLAG emissions and removals. 
The near-term (2030) reduction targets cover 67% of purchased goods and services emissions, 0% of franchises and investments emissions , and 100% of emissions under capital goods, fuel and energy related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel, employee commuting, use of sold products, and end-of-life treatment of sold products. The long-term (2050) reduction targets cover 90% of purchased goods and services emissions, 0% of categories 14 and 15, and 100% of emissions under the remaining scope 3 categories.}
 

Implementation of no-deforestation on total assortment
In alignment with the SBTi FLAG Guidance, Ahold Delhaize also aims for no deforestation across our primary deforestation-linked commodities (e.g. soy, palm oil, wood fiber, cocoa and coffee) with a target date of December 31, 2025.[2] 

To date, we have focused on aiming to be 100% deforestation and land conversion free in own-brand products containing soy, palm oil, wood fiber, cocoa, coffee and tea by 2025. We achieve this by:

• Sourcing own-brand products containing coffee, cocoa, palm oil and tea that are, as much as possible, certified against an accepted standard.
• Sourcing high-risk (South American) soy volume in own-brand supply chains covered by accepted physical certification or credits.
• Sourcing own-brand wood fiber-based products and packaging either certified against an accepted standard, classified as low-risk or recycled.

The requirements for accepted standards and credits are set out in our 2024 Annual Report.

While we have made good progress on no deforestation for our own brands (refer to our 2024 Annual Report), achieving no deforestation for our whole assortment is a challenge. We are activating all levers available to us, including supplier and industry engagement, sourcing strategies, and alignment with the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR). Progress towards whole assortment deforestation-free requires industry change and brining stakeholders across our value chain along on the journey. We will continue to include updates on our progress in our Annual Report.
 

Way forward
While we have done a lot of work in the past years to establish reduction targets and our climate approach, the exact road to net-zero is not clear yet. We will keep refining our approach as more information – for example from suppliers, or updated SBTi guidance– becomes available. We will keep you updated on our progress, and share our learnings and challenges as we go forward.

To learn more about our plans, please visit our annual report.  

[1] Net-zero emissions are achieved when anthropogenic emissions of GHGs to the atmosphere are balanced by anthropogenic removals over a specified period (IPCC, 2018). Ahold Delhaize will make use of removals to the extent permitted by SBTi.

[2] Commodities and products in scope of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products will have to meet the corresponding timelines.

Working for more sustainable, local agriculture
With the Cultivation Academy, growers will receive guidance and support in adopting regenerative agriculture practices. The goal of the academy is to bring Belgian growers together so they can share knowledge and experiences to improve and optimize their cultivation methods.

Delhaize strongly believes in the power of collaboration. By working with local farmers, the brand contributes to the shift toward a more sustainable agricultural sector and supports Belgian consumers in making more environmentally conscious choices. The seasonal vegetables offered by Delhaize are not only good for personal health but also for the planet. Regeneratively grown produce promotes biodiversity and strengthens soil health.

Sustainable growth
For Delhaize, sustainable growth means reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. Because every field, crop, and farm have unique needs, the brand takes a tailor-made approach to working with growers. The Cultivation Academy supports farmers in transitioning to more sustainable practices, such as planting cover crops and using water more efficiently. Regenerative agriculture is at the core of this strategy—a farming method that not only respects nature but actively restores and enhances it.

As farmers adopt regenerative methods, they implement new techniques and technologies that can initially result in higher costs or lower yields. To encourage the transition, the partnership includes an additional compensation model for participating growers.

“As a grower, I’m proud to host this training in my fields and to learn more about regenerative agriculture alongside my colleagues. Using natural fertilizers helps store carbon in the soil more effectively, which is an ecological benefit. We’re given tools to monitor soil health and take direct action ourselves. At every step, we consider the impact on the soil and the plant—because without plants, there are no vegetables.

For me, it’s a true win-win: I manage my land more sustainably while still achieving good yields, and I contribute to more sustainable vegetables on supermarket shelves,” says Gilke Croket, grower and Cultivation Academy participant.

“By applying regenerative techniques, we ensure that the vegetables produced by our growers are not only nutritious but also contribute to healthier soil and a more sustainable ecosystem. This benefits not just today’s consumers, but future generations as well,” says Inge De Paepe, Sustainability Manager at Delhaize.

More about Bakker Belgium
Since November 2019, Bakker Belgium has been a strategic partner of Delhaize. As part of the Greenyard Group, it supplies a large portion of the fresh fruit and vegetable range to Delhaize’s distribution centers. Their shared ambition is to increase fruit and vegetable consumption for a healthier future while creating a more sustainable food supply. Bakker Belgium has sister companies in the Netherlands (Ridderkerk) and the Czech Republic (Divisov), which also serve Ahold Delhaize. Find more information here.

Learn more about Arvesta
Arvesta is building the agriculture of tomorrow in a sustainable way through its unique expertise and smart farming innovations. Active in animal nutrition, agriculture, horticulture, and retail, Arvesta helps farmers grow and increase their yields. With more than 2,300 experts and 40 strong brands, Arvesta serves as a knowledge center for both farmers and consumers. As a full-service provider for farmers and growers, Arvesta is a leading player in Belgium and operates internationally in the Netherlands, France, and Germany. Find more information here.

“It’s essential we provide children with the right tools to develop healthy habits at an early age,” said Mike Vail, Brand President of Hannaford. “We’re incredibly proud to support these meaningful programs, which will create positive, lasting impact on the lives of children in our communities. By investing in the next generation today, we’re establishing the foundation for thriving communities tomorrow.” 

Tackling childhood obesity

In the U.S., a significant amount of children aged 2-19 are considered to have obesity – highlighting a growing need to address the potential long-term impacts of obesity on the physical health of children. The funding from Hannaford will not only support greater access to healthy food but also improve nutrition education resources for children – ultimately fostering a healthier future for the entire family. 

Supporting local communities with purpose

The funding will go towards programs that help children eat healthier and stay active, with the goal of reducing risk of chronic diseases. The donations will be distributed to various initiatives across the states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts in the U.S., including:

·  Full Plates Full Potential, which will use the grant to help schools adhere to new federal guidelines by feeding children fresh, made-from-scratch meals. This will ensure that children are consuming more nutritious foods and fewer heavily processed ingredients every day. "With this funding, we have the opportunity to help schools provide fresh, locally sourced meals to our students, and we're proud to work alongside Hannaford to end childhood food insecurity in Maine once and for all,” said Justin Strasburger, Executive Director of Full Plates Full Potential.

·  Community Servings, which will use the grant to expand its Food is Medicine Nutrition Program, providing made-from-scratch and medically tailored meals to children and families. “With Hannaford's support over the next two years, we will expand our Food is Medicine Nutrition Program. Together, we’re advancing the health of children experiencing nutrition insecurity and critical illness,” said David B. Waters, CEO of Community Servings.

In addition to the $1.3 million investment, Hannaford will provide a total of $60,000 in gift cards to community partners. The partners can use the gift cards to purchase healthy snacks, such as Hannaford Snack Pals, for children, further supporting their shared mission to enhance nutrition and well-being in the community. 

To learn more about Hannaford’s community health initiatives, visit: Hannaford.com/HannafordHelps

April 22, 2025 – Today marks Earth Day, and the theme for this year is Our Power, Our Planet, inviting everyone everywhere to unite behind renewable energy. Earth Day 2025’s goal is to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030. The push towards renewable energy lies behind wanting affordable, accessible, and sustainable energy for all.  

As part of Ahold Delhaize’s decarbonization agenda, we plan to reduce electricity emissions to zero by 2035. 

Our local brands use energy for multiple purposes: from lighting, to cooling systems, to baking fresh bread in your local store, to delivering your groceries at home.  

Within our renewable energy program, we focus on three aspects: energy efficiency, on-site generation and sourcing renewable or low carbon energy: 

• Energy efficiency: here we focus on implementing energy-saving measures such as LED lighting, heat recuperation, heat pumps, new refrigeration systems and improved insulation. Taking measures like these enable us to create energy-efficient stores fit for the future.  
• On-site generation: we also look to generate our own electricity, for instance with solar panels on roofs of stores, distribution centers and offices.   
• Sourcing renewable or low carbon energy: within a food retail business like ours, it is not feasible to cut back our energy consumption to zero, nor to generate all the electricity we require ourselves. Therefore, we work towards sourcing the remainder of our electricity from renewable and nuclear sources.   

An example of sourcing renewable energy is our Virtual Power Purchase Agreement to support the financing and construction of a cluster of five solar power plants in Seville, Spain. This corresponds to approximately 30% of Ahold Delhaize’s electricity usage in its European Operations.  

In the U.S., ADUSA has agreements for 440,000 mWhs of renewable energy from 10 new build solar projects from Pennsylvania to Maine.   

By 2035, we plan to source nearly all electricity, other than own-generated electricity, through virtual and direct Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Europe, while in the U.S., a combination of PPAs and contracts will be used to build a portfolio of zero emissions supply, depending on the electric market rules. More information on this can be found in our annual report.  

As we celebrate Earth Day 2025, let's remember that every small action counts. Whether it's supporting renewable energy initiatives, reducing our own energy consumption, or simply spreading awareness, we all need to work together on this. 

Our scope 3 targets 

In 2023, in line with the SBTi guidance on land-related (forest, land and agriculture sector or FLAG) and non-land-related (Energy and Industrial sector or E&I), we replaced both our near-term and long-term scope 3 GHG emissions reduction targets with two reduction targets, FLAG and E&I sector targets. Both our near-term (2030) and our long-term (2050) scope 3 reduction targets are consistent with the SBTi methodology with the aim of maintaining the level of decarbonization required to keep the global temperature increase within 1.5°C of pre-industrial temperatures. 
 

Three levers for decarbonization 

To tackle this challenge, we have identified three key levers for decarbonization in our value chain (scope 3): 

• Engaging our suppliers and identifying emission reduction opportunities 
• Ensuring a lower emission assortment  
• Encouraging our customers to make more sustainable choices 

Partnerships and collaboration are an important part of how the brands increase transparency and support implementation of decarbonization techniques in their supply chains.  
 

Ahold Delhaize USA’s farmland-focused initiatives to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions  

Through several strategic collaborations with key suppliers, Ahold Delhaize USA is making strides to reduce GHG emissions in the value chain, contribute to a healthier planet, and create a more resilient and sustainable food system.  

Kellanova and Bartlett: regenerative wheat in North Carolina 

In summer of last year, Ahold Delhaize USA teamed up with Kellanova (formerly Kellogg Company) and Bartlett to launch a farm-to-shelf regenerative agriculture pilot aimed at reducing Scope 3 GHG emissions in wheat farming. This collaboration focuses on supporting North Carolina wheat farmers in adopting regenerative practices to enhance soil health and supply chain resilience. 

The pilot program involves financial investments from Ahold Delhaize USA, Kellanova and Bartlett to assist farmers in implementing regenerative agriculture techniques. Bartlett's certified crop advisors provide technical assistance to farmers, guiding them in conservation practices that improve soil health and water quality, while reducing emissions. The harvested wheat is milled at Bartlett’s facility in Wilson’s Mills, North Carolina, and used to produce Kellanova’s Cheez-It® and Club® crackers at their Cary, North Carolina, facility. These consumer products, which integrate regenerative wheat into their recipes, are expected to be available in Ahold Delhaize USA's local brand stores this year.  

General Mills: supply shed collaboration 

In September 2024, Ahold Delhaize USA and General Mills announced a collaborative initiative to address Scope 3 emissions within their shared value chain. This project focuses on co-investing in key supply sheds – geographic regions where key ingredients are sourced – to support farmers in adopting regenerative agriculture practices. 

The collaboration aims to implement regenerative farming techniques on over 70,000 acres of farmland in Kansas, U.S., and Saskatchewan, Canada, by the end of 2025. These areas represent the approximate acreage General Mills uses to source key ingredients, such as wheat and oats, for products sold in Ahold Delhaize USA's local brand stores, including Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. 

Farmers receive technical and financial support to implement practices like cover cropping and nutrient management. The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), a non-profit, member-based organization, will facilitate the program and oversee impact measurement. A combination of field sampling and modeling will be used to estimate net GHG emissions, with reductions and soil carbon sequestration verified by an independent third-party organization to ensure transparency and accountability. 

Campbell’s: collaboration for potato farming practices 

Ahold Delhaize USA and The Campbell's Company recently initiated a three-year regenerative agriculture pilot aimed at reducing carbon emissions associated with potato farming. This project focuses on supporting partner farms in implementing regenerative practices to enhance soil health and create more resilient agricultural systems. 

The pilot involves three potato farms located in North Carolina, New York and Michigan respectively, covering a total of 1,000 acres – the approximate area needed annually to grow potatoes for Campbell's products sold in Ahold Delhaize USA’s local brand stores. The harvested potatoes will be used in products such as Kettle Brand® chips, Cape Cod® chips and Campbell’s® soups, available in the stores of Ahold Delhaize USA’s great local brands.  

Key farming practices promoted in this initiative include cover cropping, compost application, nutrient management, and converting farm equipment to renewable energy sources. The companies will collaborate with farmers to measure soil health and emissions impacts, leveraging Campbell's broader sustainable agriculture program, which has engaged all its potato suppliers since 2023. 
 

Commitment to collaboration 

By working with key partners to support farmers in adopting regenerative agriculture, these programs aim to improve soil health, enhance supply chain resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. From field to shelf, these efforts not only contribute to a lower-carbon food system but also help create positive environmental outcomes and support the long-term sustainability of farms and their communities.  

By engaging with suppliers in this way, we create a ripple effect of sustainability across the industry. Through continued collaboration, data-driven insights and innovation, we will keep working for a healthier future for people and planet. 
 

Further resources 

For more information, read Ahold Delhaize USA’s press releases or refer to our 2024 Annual Report: 

• https://www.adusa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ahold-delhaize-usa-kellanova-bartlett-announce-farm-shelf 
• https://www.adusa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ahold-delhaize-usa-and-general-mills-collaborate-decrease-value 
• https://www.adusa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ahold-delhaize-usa-and-campbells-company-launch-regenerative  
• https://aholddelhaize.com/digitalannualreport/2024  

B Corp Certification for Albert Heijn Netherlands: recognizing social and environmental impact 

One of the key milestones in 2024 was Albert Heijn Netherlands’ B Corp Certification, achieving a score of 97.9 points (out of 200). This internationally recognized certification is awarded to companies that uphold high standards of social responsibility, environmental sustainability and transparency. Earning this certification is an encouragement for Albert Heijn Netherlands to continue on its chosen path. 
 

Healthier choices for healthier people and planet 

Albert Heijn remains dedicated to helping customers make healthier food choices with new initiatives aimed at making fresh, nutritious, balanced meals more accessible: 

• Improving the assortment: In 2024, Albert Heijn improved even more own-brand products by reducing sugar, salt and fat while increasing fiber content. In addition, 569 “Price Favorites” now carry a Nutri-Score (the food choice logo) of A or B.  
• Encouraging vegetable consumption: Albert Heijn sold 26.3 million meal kits, and 900 healthy recipes were made available on ah.nl. 
• Offering personalized lifestyle advice: The AH “Lifestyle Check”, a free tool in the AH app, has already been used by many customers to gain insights into their eating habits. Through ah.nl/leefstijl and the My Lifestyle Coach app, customers can also access short challenges designed to support healthier choices. 
   

Positive social impact 

Albert Heijn is committed to supporting communities and offering an attractive workplace to its 125,000 colleagues. Key initiatives in 2024 included: 

• Fighting food poverty: Albert Heijn donated 3.7 million products to the Dutch Food Bank and launched two nationwide campaigns to support schoolchildren facing food poverty: “you can’t learn on an empty stomach”. 
• Tackling loneliness: During the Week Against Loneliness, Albert Heijn partnered with Resto VanHarte to open a new community restaurant in Zaandam, creating a space for people to connect. 
• Supporting young talent: For the sixth consecutive year, Albert Heijn was recognized as the most popular employer for part-time jobs, and over 4,000 associates received free exam training to support their education. 
   

Sustainability at the core 

Albert Heijn continues to lead the way in sustainable retail, focusing on organic food, packaging reduction and emissions-free transport: 

• Expanding organic offerings: With around 1,900 organic products, Albert Heijn remains the largest organic food provider in the Netherlands. In 2024, the share of unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables grew from 8.1% to 9.1%, bringing the 2026 goal of 10% within reach. 
• Reducing packaging waste: Albert Heijn exceeded its 2025 goal, cutting 21.5 million kilograms of packaging material since 2018. 
• Preventing food waste: In 2024, nearly 1.3 million kilograms of food waste were prevented through innovative reduction programs. 
• Ensuring sustainable transport: Albert Heijn operates the largest electric vehicle fleet in the Netherlands, ensuring emission-free deliveries in city centers. 
   

Together we make eating better the easy choice. For everyone. 

Albert Heijn’s 2024 Sustainability Report demonstrates a clear vision for the future: a food system that is healthier, more sustainable and socially responsible. By innovating, setting ambitious goals and staying true to its purpose, Albert Heijn continues to make eating better the easy choice. For everyone. 

Find Albert Heijn’s full 2024 Sustainability Report here.  

• Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Reduce absolute scope 3 FLAG and E&I (non-FLAG) GHG emissions
• Reduce food waste

Ahold Delhaize’s scope 1 and 2 2030 targets are validated by SBTi. The scope 3 FLAG and E&I (non-FLAG) targets are submitted to, but pending validation by SBTi. The KPIs and their relative targets highlight Ahold Delhaize’s commitment to address climate change by reducing GHG emissions from its own operations and its value chain. More information on Ahold Delhaize’s Healthy Communities and Planet strategic priority can be found here. 

The Framework has been reviewed by the external reviewer Sustainalytics, which has provided a positive Second Party Opinion of full alignment with the ICMA Sustainability Linked Bond Principles 2023. Both the Framework and Second Party Opinion are available here.

Pricing of issuance
The bond was priced at 99.723 per cent and carries an annual coupon of 3.250 per cent. The bond will settle on March 10, 2025 and shall be listed on the Global Exchange Market of Euronext Dublin. BofA Securities, Deutsche Bank, ING, J.P. Morgan, and Société Générale acted as Joint Bookrunners. 

Building on years of experience in supporting healthier dietary choices and working with healthy sales targets, Ahold Delhaize is increasingly helping customers to make more sustainable choices. The brands’ strategies are tailored to their local markets and customer preferences. These include:

• Actively promoting plant-based product ranges and offering lower-carbon animal protein assortments.
• Working together with farmers and partners to reduce emissions of animal protein products.
• Leveraging loyalty programs and incentives to encourage customers to choose plant-based alternatives.
• Investing in inspiration and education, helping customers discover the benefits of healthier and more sustainable choices.

For more information and examples of our local brands’ approaches to healthier and more sustainable choices, please visit this webpage.
 

In 2022, Dutch brand Albert Heijn set its current protein split target of 60% plant-based sales by 2030.
 

-Ends-

Notes

• *Romanian food retailer Profi became part of the Ahold Delhaize family of brands in January 2025 and is not yet part of this target.
• The EAT Lancet Commission concluded in its report that a diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal-derived foods confers both improved health and environmental benefits.
• Link to European Commission Farm to Fork strategy, including a section on protein transition.

The construction is expected to start before the end of the year, with energy generation to commence in 2026. This project will add 515 GWh per year of new solar energy capacity to the grid, equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 132,000 households. Ahold Delhaize will contract approximately 90% of the cluster’s installed capacity and will receive Guarantees of Origin (renewable energy certificates) for a period of fifteen years.


Frank Sluis, CFO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia comments: “We are thrilled about the signing of this VPPA and the development of the solar plants in Seville, Spain. It marks a significant step in our Renewable Energy Program, aimed at enhancing energy efficiency, generating our own renewable energy and sourcing green energy. It underscores our ambition to achieve our 2040 scope 1 and 2 net-zero commitment. All of our great local brands in Europe are on a clear path to delivering on our climate agenda.”

Paulette van Ommen, Director Health & Sustainability Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia added: “With this commitment, we will add new renewable electricity to the European grid. This solar project is a shining example of how we bring our Growing Together purpose and strategy to life and shows how we can leverage our scale to launch an impactful initiative across European brands.”

Luis Venero, CEO of BRUC, states: “We are pleased to announce the signing of this VPPA with Ahold Delhaize. This agreement, along with other (V)PPAs signed this year and those planned in the coming years, supports our portfolio of over 9 GW. We are proud to partner with Ahold Delhaize and jointly demonstrate our commitment to sustainable energy growth.”

Use Less, Make Our Own, Buy Green

When we started our net-zero journey, electricity was our largest source of emissions (scope 1 and 2). To date, our Renewable Energy Program has reduced emissions from electric energy in our European operations by two-thirds. The project in Seville will further support our scope 1 and 2 net-zero agenda in which we plan to reduce electricity emissions to zero by 2035.
 

Within our Renewable Energy Program, we first look at reducing energy usage by implementing energy efficiency measures across all our local brands. This includes heat pumps, new refrigeration systems, LED lighting, heat recuperation and improved insulation. Furthermore, we aim to generate as much green energy ourselves as possible, for instance by installing solar panels on roofs of stores, distribution centers and offices. Lastly, we aim to sustainably source the remainder of our electricity consumption through PPAs.  
 

In December 2023, Ahold Delhaize’s Dutch brand Albert Heijn announced a Direct PPA with Eneco for the construction of wind park Ecowende in the North Sea. This first Virtual PPA is an important next step in helping Ahold Delhaize achieve scope 1 and 2  emissions reduction and renewable energy goals.
 

For more information about Ahold Delhaize’s European Renewable Energy Program and PPAs, please read the factsheet available below.

Lieke Verstoep-Swinkels, turning passion to action

For Lieke, who is European Sourcing Analyst at Ahold Delhaize, participating in the Positive Workplace Activism course was an opportunity to challenge herself and deepen her contribution to sustainability efforts. “I want to challenge myself through my job. A large company's vision comes with responsibility. I want to contribute to that. In the training, I learned how to turn my passion for sustainability into action.” 

One of the most valuable lessons Lieke learned was the power of action. Through the Ikigai model, which helps individuals discover their purpose, she was able to identify what truly motivates her. Lieke’s action plan is ambitious but grounded in practical steps. Lieke's goal is to encourage the inclusion of beans—rich in protein and beneficial to soil fertility—on more plates. She sees opportunities to collaborate with farmers and other supply chain partners to promote this shift and expand the product offer. 

When asked what advice she would offer her colleagues to help their work shape a better future, she said, “discover which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) resonate with you and surround yourself with people who inspire action. For example, economist Paul Schendeling recently inspired me. He paints a hopeful new story. It shifts the focus from quantitative growth (consumption and GDP growth) to qualitative growth (quality of life).” 

Cosmin Sova, redefining system thinking

For Cosmin, Brand Manager at Mega Image in Romania, sustainability is not just a personal passion but a professional priority. He entered the course eager to learn how to make a greater impact in his daily work, and the experience exceeded his expectations. One key takeaway for Cosmin was the importance of system thinking—understanding how different parts of an organization impact each other and how solutions can emerge from unexpected places. 

The course also inspired Cosmin to realign his personal purpose (his Ikigai) with his professional projects, providing him with a renewed sense of motivation. His next steps include applying the tools and principles he learned to all his future projects, whether it’s launching a new brand or communicating sustainability initiatives. 

His advice for colleagues for a better tomorrow? “Find yourself, find your allies, and do your best in anything you want to do." 

Milica Mirković, driving change with patience and persistence 

For Milica Mirković, CSE Sustainable Sourcing Specialist at Delhaize Serbia, the Positive Workplace Activism course was a chance to explore new possibilities for professional and personal growth. Starting a new role focused on, amongst others, climate impact at the beginning of 2024, Milica is passionate about rallying her coworkers, customers, and even her family to take action on this important issue.

The program taught her that change is a slow process and that persistence is key. “Change can be made slowly by focusing on stakeholders who can make decisions. To bring impact, be persistent with onboarding coworkers who have influence on suppliers and customers. And remember to celebrate small wins.”

Equipped with new skills, Milica plans to simplify and structure her sustainability initiatives, working closely with peers and suppliers with the aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Her approach is practical and focused on making a tangible impact, and she encourages her colleagues to be consistent and passionate in their efforts. 

Milica’s advice to colleagues: “Every positive impact we can make is valuable. We are committed to serving our customers the best we can while improving processes to minimize our environmental impact.”  

Sophie de Boer, building allies for sustainability 

At Ahold Delhaize Coffee Company, Sophie worked on creating more sustainable plastic packaging.  She joined the Positive Workplace Activism course hoping to learn how to better communicate the significance of her work and rally her colleagues behind the cause. 

Sophie realized that while she was highly action-oriented, she sometimes overlooked the importance of building allies. " When it comes to sustainability projects, I’ve aways been very action oriented, but tend to forget the importance of finding allies and encouraging others to participate. Within the program I have learned how to identify these allies and encourage them to take action.” 

Sophie continues to be a sounding board for her colleagues, offering guidance and brainstorming solutions to keep the project moving forward. “Sometimes just encouraging a colleague to take action or pitch their idea can make a world of difference,” she says. 

Her advice for colleagues is to recognize the impact of their choices. “By aligning our decisions with values like sustainability and inclusivity, we can all contribute to a better tomorrow.” 

• Nutrition education and resources by Stop & Shop Registered Dietitians.
• Samaritans, a nonprofit organization, provided mental health advice.
• The Harvard Family Van offered blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure checks, along with resources from Tufts Dental School. 
• Information on weight loss programs and free gym passes were available, courtesy of Healthworks Community Fitness.
• Relaxation options included massages and chair yoga exercises from black-owned, woman-owned Imani massage and 4 Corners Yoga Wellness.
• Attendees sampled free beverages and snacks from the Stop & Shop Mobile Marketing Truck and enjoyed music and a meal from a local restaurant.
• Children enjoyed engaging activities like story time about healthy eating with the Grove Hall local library, as well as art projects with sparc! a traveling art studio known as the ArtMobile.

Overall, the successful event was attended by nearly 350 participants. “We wanted to create an event that connects our neighbors with the right wrap-around healthcare services that fit their health and wellness needs,” said Christine Sinclair, Registered Dietician, Stop & Shop Nutrition Partner at Grove Hall. “Our goal is to provide tangible resources to the community that will empower people on their journey to better health.”

Progress at Ahold Delhaize’s great local brands 

Ahold Delhaize's great local brands made further progress in their human rights approach. For example, Dutch brand Albert Heijn published a supplier brochure on gender equality and women's rights and the Belgium brand Delhaize committed to a living wage in the banana sector. Romanian brand Mega Image introduced a Mega Ability program to provide job opportunities for people with disabilities. Each of Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. brands were once again independently recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQIA+ Equality.  

Frans Muller, President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize said: “At Ahold Delhaize and its great local brands, people are at the heart of the business. Our associates, the customers and communities we serve, and the relationships we foster with supply chain partners, are paramount. It is our responsibility to support human rights everywhere Ahold Delhaize and our brands do business, even when confronted with global challenges, by conducting our business the right way, every day. By doing so, we believe we can continue to drive positive impact toward a more equitable society that recognizes and respects human rights.” 

Sustainability due diligence 

In 2023, in line with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the newly adopted European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), Ahold Delhaize decided to broaden its approach from human rights due diligence to sustainability due diligence, encompassing both social and environmental impacts.  Ahold Delhaize also conducted a thorough review of its Standards of Engagement, which are included in the agreements with suppliers, to better align with the broader approach to both social and environmental due diligence. Additionally, the Standards of Engagement include more explicit references to responsible recruitment, which requires that suppliers act with special attention when engaging and recruiting migrant workers, both directly and indirectly. The list of high-risk countries is also updated, in line with the amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI).  

Next steps 

As a next step, Ahold Delhaize is setting up global human rights impact assessments focused on the most salient impacts in the supply chain, including forced labor, child labor, and migrant workers in agriculture. These assessments, building upon those initiated by Ahold Delhaize’s Dutch brand Albert Heijn, will be performed by external experts and complement the sustainability risk assessments, social compliance audits and commodity certification programs already in place. They will help us further assess these salient impacts and establish global action plans to address them collectively. More information about Ahold Delhaize's next steps on human rights can be found in the new Roadmap on Human Rights in the 2024 Human Rights Report. We will report our progress in the 2024 Annual Report. 

Reporting on human rights commitments going forward 

The 2024 Human Rights Report will be the last stand-alone report. Ahold Delhaize will continue to demonstrate progress on its Roadmap on Human Rights and report publicly and transparently on its human rights commitments in its Annual Report, in line with the CSRD and, eventually, the CSDDD.

Ahold Delhaize CEO Frans Muller comments, “As MSCI's ESG rating is a primary research tool and a widely used benchmark by investors, Ahold Delhaize's ranking upgrade will help investors to understand the importance we place on the transformation to a healthy and sustainable food system and being a business that is fit for the future.” 
 

An MSCI ESG rating measures a company’s resilience to long-term Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks. Companies are rated on an industry-relative AAA (leader) to CCC (laggard) scale according to their exposure and how well they manage those risks relative to peers. With this triple-A rating, Ahold Delhaize is in the top 7 percentile within the food retail industry. Learn more about MSCI ESG ratings here. 
 

Industry materiality map 

MSCI uses an industry materiality map, which includes a wide range of key ESG issues – in Ahold Delhaize's case, the food retail industry. Examples include Ahold Delhaize’s and its local brands’ goals and efforts in reducing carbon emissions in line with a trajectory of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, implementing opportunities in nutrition and health, ensuring Ahold Delhaize has great diverse talent and managing privacy and data security. All actions – small and large – have played a role in Ahold Delhaize's score.  
 

What’s next 

Ahold Delhaize Chief Sustainability Officer Jan Ernst de Groot comments, “Although we are proud of our rating, we know that there's more to achieve. Topics such as health, sustainability, human rights and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) are a central part of our company strategy, therefore it is important that we embed sustainability even more widely across our business.    

To reach our ambitions set in our Leading Together strategy, we have committed to short- and long-term targets. These include further increasing healthy sales of our own-brand food products, eliminating food and plastic waste, aiming for 100% diverse and inclusive workplaces and reaching the science-based absolute reduction targets we have set for carbon emissions across all scopes.”  

For more information on Ahold Delhaize's approaches to Health & Sustainability and ESG topics, visit our Annual Report. 
 

Ahold Delhaize's approach to its ESG agenda 

Ahold Delhaize's ESG ambitions and strategy are shaped by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), market knowledge from its great local brands and several ESG benchmarks, including MSCI, Sustainalytics, CDP and ISS-ESG. Ahold Delhaize also considers trends in our markets and around the world, feedback from stakeholders, and how we align with global frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). 

“Food-related diseases and the impact of climate change are affecting billions of people, including those in our communities and our business. That is why we need to accelerate in the areas where we can create the most value,” President and CEO Frans Muller said. “As an international food retailer, we are in a great position to help tackle these global issues together, with our customers and with our partners in the industry and across the supply chain, to create a healthier and more resilient food system. I am convinced that this will make our business stronger and more robust for the future.”
  

The ambition focuses on: 

• Healthier choices. After baselining all own-brand products against science-based nutritional navigation systems, the local brands of Ahold Delhaize aim to further increase sales of healthy own-brand products to more than half of total own-brand food sales, with a target of 51% by 2022. To achieve this, the brands will continue their commitment to reformulate products (e.g. less sugar, salt, fats) and to make it easier for customers to meet their own, personal health needs. By 2025, all Ahold Delhaize brands will provide science-based nutritional navigation systems for customers, such as Nutri-Score and Guiding Stars, in stores and online. 
   
• Product transparency. Ahold Delhaize and its local brands can help customers make choices that fit their needs, their tastes, and their values. To facilitate these choices, the company will provide even more information about where own-brand products are sourced, which production methods are used and under which conditions they are produced. Building on the company’s nearly 100% visibility and sustainability in its own-brand seafood supply chains, it will move quickly to apply lessons learned to its fresh fruit, vegetable, and meat supply chains.  
   
• Eliminating waste: 
  Food waste: The brands of Ahold Delhaize will continue reducing food waste¹ from operations, cutting it in half by 2030², in line with the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. This work requires balancing the reduction of food waste with our goal to increase sales of fresh and healthy products. To achieve this target, the brands will use more effective replenishment systems, leverage innovative methods, such as dynamic pricing based on sell-by date, and further expand partnerships to repurpose unsold but safe food to relieve food insecurity. Additionally, as a founding member of the 10x20x30 food waste initiative, Ahold Delhaize is also partnering with 20 key suppliers to reduce food waste throughout our supply chains. 
  
  Plastic waste: The Ahold Delhaize brands are working toward zero plastic waste from own-brand packaging by 2025, through packaging reduction and moving to fully recyclable, reusable, or compostable plastics. Furthermore, 25% of own-brand plastic packaging will be from recycled materials by 2025.  
   

Ahold Delhaize has also committed to setting long-term, science-based targets as of February 2021 to reduce its impact on climate change. On human rights, the company is already conducting due diligence, following the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, to ensure our brands, businesses, and supply chains are protecting the rights of customers, associates and community members. Our brands are increasing standards for the sustainability of products they sell, while maintaining best-in-class standards for food safety and quality. Finally, as part of our Healthy and Sustainable ambition, the company continues to focus on improving workplace safety. 
 

Ahold Delhaize will continue to report on the progress of its Healthy and Sustainable ambition in its annual report and on www.aholddelhaize.com.