We at Ahold realize that we have a significant opportunity, and a responsibility, to make our impact a positive one for customers and all of our stakeholders. That is the core philosophy behind our approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Our companies in the United States and Europe have a long heritage in the food retail business, and deep connections with the communities and societies in which we operate. We believe the key to being successful is to continuously track trends in society and translate them into relevant information and inspiring solutions for our customers.
Our businesses have been doing this for more than a century and we apply that same capability to CSR. We see this as one of our major strengths and one of the ways in which we at Ahold are working to ensure a strong future for our company.
“We believe the key to being successful is to continuously track trends in society and translate them into relevant information and inspiring solutions for our customers. ”
Our main themes
All of our current activities in CSR fall under one or more of our four main themes: Healthy Living, Sustainable Trade, Climate Action, and Community Engagement.
Healthy living: We want to make a positive contribution to the health of our customers, employees and other stakeholders by offering healthy choices in our assortment as well as information, activities, and educational resources promoting the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Sustainable trade: We cooperate with suppliers to systematically improve the intrinsic, social and environmental quality of products throughout the supply chain, particularly those sold under Ahold brand names. In the long run, we favor those suppliers whose values and principles are aligned with our own.
Climate action: We rely on efficient logistics to provide the broad and continuously available assortment of fresh, safe, high-quality products that consumers demand. We are focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by making our operations as efficient as possible to limit their negative impact on the climate and the environment.
Community engagement: Community involvement and charitable giving are part of our customer focus. As active members of the communities we serve, we have the means and the responsibility to make a difference in the lives of our stakeholders.
Focusing our efforts
The challenges of CSR are highly complex, and we recognize that we have much to learn from others, both inside and outside of our business. Our CSR objectives grow from external research, studies on global trends, and dialogue with our key stakeholders: customers, employees, suppliers, the financial community and the communities we serve.
We are also committed to keeping our stakeholders informed of our progress in this area and that is why, as of 2008, we publish an annual CSR report.
Ahold’s CSR Coordinating Committee helps to guide our CSR strategy. It is made up of specialists from each of our operating companies and the Corporate Center, and aids Ahold’s Corporate Executive Board in driving and prioritizing CSR activities across the group.
The CSR Coordinating Committee also works to maximize the impact of our CSR efforts and to make the most of Ahold’s scope and scale by ensuring that expertise and information about our CSR activities are widely shared throughout the operating companies.
At the start of 2007, Ahold reorganized its CSR activities around four main themes we believe address the trends that are now, and will be for years to come, most relevant to our business, important to our key stakeholders and where we see the most opportunity to make a positive impact.
For more information on Ahold’s approach to CSR please visit the CSR section of this website, or readAhold CSR Report.