Translations

Honey "made in AUCHAN" by sponsoring bee hives

4. Environment

Biodiversity and sustainable resource management

Sector Business / Distribution

Year 2016

Country France

Transmitter

Context

For many years, the bee population has been declining rapidly, with the total disappearance of bees in certain rural areas of France. This phenomenon is known as “Bee Colony Collapse Syndrome”. It is a very troubling syndrome because bees play a very important ecological role through pollinization. Auchan stores have decided to work with local bee farmers to preserve biodiversity by sponsoring bee hives to promote the creation of new colonies. The idea is that in an urban environment or at shopping malls, the bees are less exposed to pesticides and therefore could be better protected and produce more honey than in a rural environment.

Objectives

Contribute to combat the disappearance of bees and the preservation of biodiversity.
Anchor the actions of the stores in the local community by encouraging partnerships with local bee farmers.
Increase efforts to raise awareness among customers and especially children thanks to workshops organized in shopping malls in the context of Sustainable Development events.
Create internal initiatives on the subject to build cohesion among employees.
Contribute to building a positive image of Auchan

APPROACH

To help a maximum of its stores support this commitment, the company provides a complete methodology (choice of partners,, contracts, insurance, etc.) covering all the necessary steps for the implantation of hives. Local partner bee farmers are sought out and contacted by members of the Sustainable Development Committees of the stores that wish to set up hives. The hives are implanted on the roof of the store when possible. The honey that is harvested is offered to a charitable association or sold in the store with the proceeds paid to an association.

For example, the Calais store has installed six hives and has brought in disabled people from the Centre d’Accueil et de Soins Conteville, which is managed by the Association des Parents d’Enfants Inadaptés. Among other things, they helped assemble and decorate the hives.
As sponsors, the stores can then promote the initiative with customers, employees and the inhabitants from the local neighborhoods. Some stores, for example, propose “bee farming” events in the shopping mall.
Certain employees have chosen to take a course in bee farming. At the purchasing center in Villeneuve d’Ascq (59), 2 employees took training in bee farming. They now manage the hives and collect the honey (25 kg of honey harvested).

Best Practice selected by the World Forum for a Responsible Economy in 2013 and updated in 2016.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Enrich the Auchan image in terms of Sustainable Development and encourage preference for the Auchan brand

Benefits

Bees contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.
Almost 60 stores have already installed hives since 2011. The Croix headquarters and the Auchan purchasing center have each set up 3 hives. That is close to 4 million bees that produce honey “Made in Auchan”.
Numerous stores sell the honey and contribute the proceeds to charitable associations.
91kg of honey harvested with 3 hives during the spring 2014 in the Tours Nord store