Translations

AUCHAN FRANCE - The group champions and publicizes its responsible farming campaign by a new logo

6. Clients and consumers

Instruction

Sector Business / Distribution

Year 2017

Country France

Transmitter

Context

Created in 1961, the Auchan Group is a corporation associating family and employee ownership organized into 5 activities: hypermarkets, supermarkets, Immochan, Accord Bank, and e-retailing. The Group has been dedicated for over 20 years to a policy of responsible purchasing aimed at a healthy food supply accessible to all. In February 2015 at France's agricultural trade fair, Auchan France unveiled its new "responsible farming" logo.

Objectives

Showcase an approach already ongoing for many years.
Extend the agricultural sector partnership to other products.
Guarantee for all residents the ability to regularly find high-quality, safe and healthy products at Auchan prices.

APPROACH

Farming sector partnership strategies have been nurtured for many years: - "Lyré" chicken: partnership in place for 28 years with the GIE Fermiers du Val de Loire cooperative of Loire Valley farmers, thanks in 1987 to creation of the Lyré brand (associating 350 chicken breeders), which proposes a comprehensive line of Label Rouge-certified products: healthy, GMO-free food, cereal-based, raised on locally-grown wheat or 100% French corn, with reductions of inputs, very strict quality control, minimal use of antibiotics, attention to animal welfare, free range practices, access to perches, a biodiversity emphasis. - The Auchan organic carrot: partnership established since 2009 with Les Fermes Larrère, farms at the cutting edge of organic technology, with a sustainable philosophy covering all crops: innovation in the use of renewable energies, organic methanation and a circular economy approach to attain autonomy first in energy then in fertilizers. With the "responsible farming" logo, Auchan has broadened its approach:4 times a year, Auchan's agricultural sector committee (comprising 8 seats, from both inside and outside the company) studies product applications, for validation In 2015, the initially selected pre-packaged products have been tagged with a "responsible sector committed to you" sticker and the individual departments targeted for a point-of-sale promotion announcing the approach.Best Practice selected in 2015 by World Forum for a Responsible Economy and updated in 2016.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

120 hypermarkets involved in the campaign in 2015, communication via posters or directly onto the designated products using the tags.
Satisfaction of consumer expectations and demonstration of approach credibility.
Reliability of high-quality supplies.

Benefits

the validation for new products is based on an evaluation grid built around 4 criteria:

origin and traceability (food safety)
respect for human rights (employment, equity, durability, territorial integrity)
environmental protection (water, CO2, treatment processes, animal welfare)
affordable prices for consumers.