Axfood : Tailwind for Axfood’s sustainability work in 2020

Food has never had a greater impact on the climate and environment than today. Axfood is therefore working long-term and systematically with sustainability issues across the entire value chain.

'At the same time that the sustainability challenges are increasing in number, it is important to remember that sustainability and profitability growth go hand-in-hand. During the past year we saw many examples that what is good for the environment is also good for business,' says Åsa Domeij, Head of Sustainability at Axfood.

Following is a sampling of importance achievements made in Axfood's sustainability work during 2020.

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
The total carbon footprint per delivered tonne for Group-owned goods transports decreased by more than 9% in 2020 - a result of a growing share of fossil-free transports. Since the base year 2009, total emissions from Axfood's own operations have decreased by 76%. Apart from a changeover to green electricity, reduced use of climate-impacting refrigerants for freezers and refrigerators, and greater use of fossil-free fuels contributed to the sharp decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. Axfood's target for its own operations is to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.

Record-low level of food waste in stores
Food waste decreased in 2020 in all of Axfood's store chains to a record-low 1.26%. At the current rate of decline, the target to cut food waste in half between 2015 and 2025 will be achieved. Automated restocking, hand-held computers that identify products that are expiring, clearance sales of blemished fruits and vegetables with a high level of maturity and collaboration with charity organizations are a few initiatives that can be credited for the decrease.

Increased sales of sustainability-labelled products
Sustainability-labelled products account for a steadily growing share of Axfood's total sales. During 2020 they accounted for 28.3% of total sales, an increase of 1.4 percentage points compared with a year ago and a large leap towards the target of 30% of total sales by 2025. Green Keyhole and organic were the dominant markings, while general grocery items and frozen products accounted for the largest increases.More plant-based and green-listed
That more and more consumers are choosing to eat plant-based proteins is confirmed by continued high sales growth of more than 15% for refrigerated and frozen vegetarian products. At the same time, a steadily growing share of the seafood assortment - 81% - is made up of fish that is green-listed by WWF, an increase of more than 7% over the preceding year and an important step toward the goal of selling only green-listed fish. Axfood's stores stopped selling red-listed fish and shellfish already back in 2008.

Read more about the results of Axfood's sustainability work in the Annual and Sustainability Report 2020, available at axfood.com.