Dive Brief:
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Whole Foods earned an "A" and Amazon received an "F" in the second scorecard from Friends of the Earth that assesses how 25 large food retailers have protected bees and humans from toxic pesticides.
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The group's 57-page report notes that while some retailers have committed to greater environmental sustainability and social responsibility in their operations — Walgreens and Trader Joe's recently pledged to expand their organic offerings — most have not done enough to limit pesticide use in their supply chains.
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According to the environmental group, pesticide use is the reason 40% of invertebrate pollinator species face extinction.
Dive Insight:
Friends of the Earth also ranked Costco (A-), Albertsons (B-) and BJ's Wholesale Club (B-) as high achievers when it comes to pesticide reduction. On the lower end of the scale, Rite Aid, Smart & Final and Supervalu each earned a D+. Amazon was the only retailer that received an overall F in the report.
The scorecard ranked the retailers on three criteria — organic, meaning the level of public commitment to stocking organic foods and beverages; pesticides, assessing whether and to what extent the retailer has a publicly available pollinator protection policy; and transparency, defined as whether the company has policies on corporate social responsibility or sustainability and how accessible they are.
Whether retailers are concerned about their ranking in reports like these is an open question, but much of their business depends on the work of pollinators. Honeybees make it possible to produce $15 billion in U.S. produce, and about a third of global foods and beverages depend on some form of insect pollination.
The bee population is shrinking due to colony collapse disorder and from pesticide exposure, according to scientific surveys. U.S. beekeepers who assess honeybee numbers each year say that 29% of colonies have died each winter since 2006.
As the situation worsens, some retailers have taken steps to help pollinators. Whole Foods, for example, has put on "Human Bee-In" events and "Give Bees A Chance" promotions during the last few years. Food brands are also made strides in this area — Hain's Celestial Seasonings, Unilever's Talenti and General Mills have joined with the Xerces Society, a nonprofit environmental group dedicated to helping bees.
It will be interesting to see if the results of this report will pressure included retailers to improve their environmental sustainability efforts, especially as these issues become increasingly important to mainstream shoppers. Investments in mission-based causes can help retailers build an ethical halo, and could also create opportunities to charge premium prices — a benefit both conventional and natural and organic grocers can take advantage of.
Meanwhile, the Friends of the Earth report made several recommendations for major U.S. food retailers to help reduce exposure to pesticides for pollinators and humans: Set clear goals to meet rising consumer demand for organic foods and beverages, take action to expand organic agriculture, and be more transparent about organic offerings.