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Supermarkets, health and sustainability
Supermarkets: updates 2007

Sustain takes a keen interest in supermarket policies and activities on health and sustainability. These pages record recent activity on this issue. For enquiries about this material, contact Sustain's policy director Kath Dalmeny on kath@sustainweb.org.

Autumn 2007

Responsible retailing at the Co-op
Sustain has been meeting with the Co-op to discuss how their Responsible Retail Advisory Panel (RRAP) might support the development of a sustainability scoring and labelling system. See the separate pages on sustainability labelling for more information.

Greening supermarkets
During this quarter, Kath helped with publication and media coverage of Greening Supermarkets, a survey report from the National Consumer Council comparing the leading supermarkets for how well they engage their customers with sustainability issues – e.g. climate change, sustainable fish, recycling and organic food – and promote environmentally friendly products.  Before Kath became Deputy Co-ordinator, she had advised the NCC on the design of the survey and coordinated the research and report, which achieved national media coverage.

Summer 2007

Sustainable supermarkets
During May and June, Sustain's deputy coordinator Kath Dalmeny coordinated 16 supermarket surveys in support of this year’s report Greening Supermarkets project, funded by the National Consumer Council. This is the second such report, looking at how well supermarkets help customers to make more environmentally friendly choices through information, promotions and restricting choice to more sustainable products, such as seasonal fruits and vegetables. The report is due for publication in the autumn. We are grateful to our team of stalwart surveyors who undertook this mammoth data-gathering exercise. Kath has analysed the data, submitted the survey report findings and continues to work with the National Consumer Council project officer, Lucy Yates, to finalise the report.

Sustainable Development Commission
Kath has also continued to be involved in the Sustainable Development Commission’s expert panel on supermarkets and sustainability.

Spring 2007

Sustainable supermarkets
Under the auspices of the Food Commission Kath previously managed and helped to design four surveys on behalf of the National Consumer Council (NCC) – three ‘Healthy Supermarkets’ reports 2002-2006 and one ‘Greening Supermarkets’ report in 2006. The NCC has now commissioned Kath, at Sustain, to review and repeat the Greening Supermarkets survey and report in 2007. This will involve managing nine surveyors during April and May and collating and analysing data, much of which will be undertaken by freelance contractors. The review of indicators has also provided an opportunity for Sustain to influence how pressure can be brought to bear on supermarkets to communicate sustainability to consumers and encourage sustainable consumption. Consultation has been undertaken with several key Sustain members.

Kath has also been invited by the Sustainable Development Commission to sit on the SDC’s Expert Advisory Group on Supermarkets. The first meeting set out SDC’s work programme to review what more could be done to encourage supermarkets to achieve sustainability, and by what means. A second meeting is planned for May. Given that Vicki Hird, Bill Vorley and the NCC’s Lucy Yates are also on the group, Sustain and its members are well placed to influence this process.

Winter 2006-07

Media coverage and other promotional work
During the autumn, Kath helped with publication and media coverage of Greening Supermarkets, a survey report from the National Consumer Council comparing the leading supermarkets for how well they engage their customers with sustainability issues – e.g. climate change, sustainable fish, recycling and organic food – and promote environmentally friendly products.  Before Kath became Deputy Co-ordinator, she had advised the NCC on the design of the survey and coordinated the research and report, which achieved national media coverage.