[Pollinator] Fwd: Please Share! Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard ranks grocers on pesticides and organic offerings

[Laurie Adams]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Klein, Kendra" <KKlein at foe.org>
> Date: October 7, 2020 at 7:48:06 AM PDT
> To: "Klein, Kendra" <KKlein at foe.org>
> Subject: Please Share! Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard ranks grocers on pesticides and organic offerings
> 
> 
> Dear friends,
>  
> We’re excited to announce that the Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard launched today! The scorecard grades 25 of the largest U.S. food retailers on pesticides and organic offerings. It finds that, amidst the “insect apocalypse,” most retailers have a long way to go to protect bees and butterflies from toxic pesticides.
>  
> PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!
> Social media toolkit
> Sample tweet
>  
> Pesticide use is driving a massive decline of pollinators, putting biodiversity and our food system at risk. Learn which top U.S. food retailers are taking vital steps to cut out toxic pesticides and #SaveTheBees! https://foe.org/retailer-report-card/
>  
> Sample FB post
>  
> Amidst the “insect apocalypse,” a new scorecard finds that U.S. food retailers have a long way to go to protect bees and butterflies — the small but mighty pollinators responsible for one in three bites of food we eat — from toxic pesticides. https://foe.org/retailer-report-card/
>  
> KEY FINDINGS
> Pesticide reduction to protect biodiversity and human health lags far behind other sustainability efforts in the food retail sector. While 23 of the 25 companies evaluated have energy & climate policies, just 6 have a pesticide-related policy for their food supply chains as of 2020.
> Giant Eagle, released a new policy committing to eliminate use of pollinator-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides in its produce supply chain, making the company the only top retailer to make a clear commitment to reduce toxic pesticide use.
> Six top food retailers have pollinator health policies. In addition to Giant Eagle, in the past year Albertsons, Aldi U.S., Kroger and Rite Aid created new pollinator health policies that encourage reductions in bee-toxic pesticides in food supply chains. Costco was the first major U.S. food retailer to establish a pollinator health policy in 2018. Only Giant Eagle’s policy includes a measurable commitment to reduce use of pollinator-toxic pesticides in its food supply chain. 
> Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are leading on organic as a percent of overall grocery sales. Most companies are not disclosing their organic sales data, which makes it difficult to assess their growth and competitive advantage in this marketplace.
> Only Ahold Delhaize and Aldi U.S. include organic sales in company KPIs or formal sustainability criteria. None of the companies evaluated include pesticide reduction in formal sustainability criteria.
> Independent grocery stores far surpass the largest U.S. food retailers on organic as a percent of overall sales. In a survey of 36 independent food retailers across the country, we found that 94% report exceeding the benchmark that Friends of the Earth has challenged top grocery retailers to meet: increasing certified organic offerings to 15% of total sales or grocery offerings.
> While agriculture accounts for the vast majority of pesticide use, the scorecard also awarded points to nine companies for complimentary policies in their home & garden supply chains, including credit to Costco, Ahold Delhaize and CVS for commitments to end sales of Roundup and other glyphosate-based products.
>  
> FOR MORE INFORMATION:
> Scorecard website
> Press release
> Op-ed in Food Tank
>  
> Without pollinators, grocery stores would run short of a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans and delicious treats like chocolate and coffee. And because bees pollinate alfalfa and other crops eaten by cows, even the dairy and meat shelves would look bare.
>  
> The findings of the scorecard represent important first steps. But the extinction crisis demands that all food retailers make time-bound commitments to phase out toxic pesticides and support a transition to organic and regenerative agriculture, which is better for pollinators, people and the planet.
>  
> Thank you for helping us to get the word out!
>  
> All best,
> Kendra
>  
> Kendra Klein, PhD
> Senior Staff Scientist
>  Friends of the Earth U.S.
> 415-350-5957 cell
>  
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