The Group is developing a proactive policy to conserve the natural resources of forests, saes and earth. With regard to wood supplies, carrefour is prioritizing certified wood for the production of its furniture products and garden decorations. As for sea resources, the Group initiated a Repsonsible Fishing approach in 2004. The Group is also encouraging environmentally friendly farming practices: organic farming and integrated farming.

Responsible sourcing : the examples wood and fisheries products

Responsible fishing approach

  

Giving the crutial problem of over-exploitation of ocean resources, and decreasing fish stocks, the Group has decided to promote sustainable fishing which contribute to a sustainable management of resources.

In France, compliance with regulatory fish sizes is included in suppliers’ specifications. Since 2000, at Carrefour platforms, inspectors have been monitoring the compliance of incoming fish (over 3,000 controls annually in France).
In 2005 in France and Belgium, the Group launched a line of Responsible Fishing frozen products, guaranteeing optimal traceability and stock management as well as respect for the ecosystem. Finally, in 2008 Hypermarkets France are launching Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) frozen products under the Carrefour Agir Éco Planète brand, as well as MSC fresh products.

Over the past several years, the Group has been developing a range of quality farm-raised fish with
limited environmental impact (example: Carrefour Quality Lines).

In the fresh seafood department, the Carrefour group has decided to promote herbivores species, to limit to the maximum the inclusion of deep-water species within its catalogues and to favour the aquaculture of shrimps by Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) members.

To reduce flour milling fishing (fish used in animal meal production), it supports raising
species such as tilapia, claria and pangasius, which feed mainly on vegetation. It also replaces a part of the animal-origin nutrients for carnivorous fish with
plant products in a way that preserves the nutritional characteristics.

The Group attempts through this approach to raise other economic players’ and consumers’ awareness on this kind of products.

Prioritizing certified wood

Since 1997, Carrefour has been working to control its wood supply and has been collaborating with the WWF since 1998 to develop FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood from sustainably managed forests.

As part of its combat against illegal trade, and to improve traceability of wood, it also signed the FLEGT proposal for European regulations against illegal wood commerce.

The Group promotes FSC wood for garden furniture in its main European markets. It discontinued sales of Teak in France in 2006, and Keruing the year after. In 2007, the Group's international purchasing office confirmed its commitment with an assortment of outdoor furniture made from FSC Amburana, FSC Eucalyptus and Acacia (non-endangered species according to the IUCN list).

Currently, no endangered species is included in list assortment, of which 80% are FSC certified and 20% are in the VFTN process. Moreover, in 2007 the Group closely monitored its wood sourcing in order to better trace their origins and to manage risks associated with illegal
trade. In 2007, WWF Belgium’s survey on tropical wood ranked Carrefour in third place, recognizing thus its responsible sourcing policy.

Sustaianble sourcing for palm and soy

The rapidly increasing demand for palm oil and soy is leading to serious consequences for biodiversity and the greenhouse effect (extensions to plantations of these crops are often made of the expense of primary forest land) and local populations (expropriations of populations and difficult working conditions in the plantations). Carrefour’ s response was to support the establishment of sustainable agriculture practices by joining the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2006 and the Roundtable on Responsible Soy (RTRS) in 2007. In 2007, the Group carried out a survey on the palm oil and soy used in its controlled products and took steps to raise awareness among its
suppliers.