Post on 17-Mar-2018
Supermarket Rankings
1 Tied: Carrefour, Auchan
3 Shanghai City Shop
4 Beijing Ito Yokado
5 Huapu (Jian Mart)
6 Aeon & Jusco Beijing (North China)
7 NGS
8 Walmart
9 Wellcome (Hong Kong)
10 Vanguard
11 Tied: HuaLian (including Lianhua, Hualian, and Century
Mart), Lotus, Jusco (South China), Jusco (Hong Kong), Park and
Shop, Chaoshifa, Jingkelong, and Wu-mart
19 Tied: Chengdu Ito Yokado, Tesco
Legend:
The supermarket has done a lot in this area.
The supermarket has some limited policies targeting this area.
The supermarket has begun some initial policies to improve this area.
Key
1. No genetically engineered foods
The supermarket has promised to not sell genetically engineered (GE) foods,
including in their own-brand products as well as other fresh unpackaged grains,
vegetables, and fruits.
2. Ban on pesticide use
The supermarket has promised as immediate action to ban the use of most
hazardous pesticides. Specifically they committed to ban pesticides that the World
Health Organization categorizes as extremely hazardous, highly hazardous, and
moderately hazardous, and pesticide belonging the organophosphates class
(which were developed from war-time nerve gases and are known to pose long-
term negative threats to the nervous system, especially in children), as well as
pesticides that China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection have classified as
“highly polluting, high environmental risk,” and pesticides considered toxic to
bees.
In the Hong Kong region, supermarkets are also supposed to take the initiative to
implement measures to gradually decrease the total quantity of pesticides used
and evolve towards a model of ecological agriculture.
3. Establish product traceability and control
systems
The supermarket promises to establish a comprehensive traceability and control
System for their entire supply and provide timelines to achieve it. A traceability
system tracks products from the field along the way to their supermarket shelves
A traceability system allows for effective oversight of the entire production process
from field to store and ensure compliance with the supermarket’s commitments
on banning GE foods and above-mentioned priority pesticides.
4. Complementary oversight measures
The supermarket promises to implement other control measures such as
supplier management policies, an internal alert system, and product testing and
inspection mechanisms. Supplier management policies should include contracted
requirements, independent auditing, and penalties for violations.
5. Information transparency
The supermarket promises to make public its policies on banning GE foods and
above-mentioned priority pesticides, and other related matters, as well as its product
traceability system and complementary control measures.
6. Double standards
The supermarket has made commitments to ban GE foods and/or pesticides in
other countries or regional markets, but has given no such commitments in China
and Hong Kong (nationwide or regionally).
Why are genetically engineered (GE) foods dangerous?
There is still huge uncertainty regarding the long-term safety of GE foods. Scientific
experiments have found that animals fed GE foods exhibited allergy like reactions,
and some exhibited abnormal changes to their liver and kidney tissue. Releasing
GE crops into the environment can also contaminate and negatively impact natural
biodiversity. Extensive market research has found that consumers in China and
Hong Kong are clearly against GE foods. As such, Greenpeace is actively pushing
for supermarkets to respect consumer desires by making a commitment to non-GE
foods.
Why is Greenpeace asking supermarkets to ban
pesticides?
The health and environmental hazards of pesticides have been well
documented already. They can cause immediate as well as long-term
health damages. Some pesticides are highly poisonous in smallest
doses. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies pesticides
according to their acute poisonous; pesticides in Class 1 are extremely
hazardous or highly hazardous. The United Nations Food & Agriculture
Organization recommends that developing countries do not use WHO
I pesticides. Many organophosphate pesticides, which were developed
from war-time nerve gas research are listed in WHO’s classification,
in addition they pose long-term dangers for human health, especially
that of children. Many other pesticides are used in large quantities
threatening the environment and people, and pesticide residues can be
found in many foods including vegetables and fruit.
As a result, for the protection of human health and the environment,
Greenpeace is campaigning for supermarkets to ban the use of the
most hazardous pesticides as an immediate action.
Why should supermarkets take responsibility to protect
consumer safety and the environment?
Greenpeace supports the sustainable development of agriculture and cares
deeply about food safety and consumer health. We believe that food safety and
environmental protection can only be guaranteed through the joint efforts of the
government, food producers, suppliers, retailers, and consumers. As an important
retail channel, supermarkets cannot shirk their responsibility on food safety and the
environment. By taking the lead, supermarkets not only guarantee the safety and
health of consumers, but also help further the much needed reform of agriculture
towards an ecological, sustainable model. Thus, Greenpeace has gathered
information via questionnaires and other means to produce a comprehensive
comparison of the policies of China’s major supermarkets on GE foods, pesticide
use, and information transparency. We hope that the Supermarket Ranking Guide
will help consumers choose the supermarkets with the best and most comprehensive
policies in place to safeguard our health and our environment.
How was the Supermarket Ranking Guide produced?
Each supermarket was surveyed on their policies and measures on
banning GE foods and/or pesticides, product traceability and control
systems, additional complementary management policies, and information
transparency. The survey results, combined with information made
available to the public on each supermarket’s website, were turned into
scores, which were then ranked. If you would like to learn more about our
scoring system, please visit the Greenpeace website (Chinese).
Supermarket Details
1. Carrefour
Carrefour has a comprehensive policy banning GE foods in
their own-brand products as well as in fresh unpackaged fruit,
vegetables and grains. In their own-brand foods, Carrefour
promises to ban all five types of pesticides mentioned above.
For fresh vegetables and fruits sourced from their farm-direct
purchasing program, the supermarket commits to banning
WHO I and organophosphate pesticides. The supermarket
has also undertaken the establishment of a complete
product traceability system, supplier management policies,
an internal alert system, and inspection mechanisms. All
policies on banning GE and phasing out pesticides have
been made public; Carrefour will also make public its product
traceability system and supplier management policies.
1. Auchan
Auchan has made a clear commitment to ban GE foods
from its own-brand foods as well as other fresh, unpackaged
vegetables, fruit, and grains. It commits to ban four out of
the five pesticides listed in its own-brand foods and other
fresh unpackaged vegetables, fruit, and grains. Auchan
is also establishing a sound traceability system, supplier
management policies, internal alert systems, inspection
mechanisms, and other policies, and has set a timetable for
the implementation. Auchan promises to make its specific
policies public.
Tied for first
3. Shanghai City Shop
Shanghai City Shop has committed to ban all five of the
pesticides listed above in its own-brand vegetables, fruit,
and grains. It will also ban extremely hazardous and highly
hazardous pesticides and organophosphate pesticides
from other vegetables, fruit, and grains. The supermarket
has clear commitments banning GE ingredients in its own-
brand foods. Shanghai City Shop has also said that it is
working on establishing comprehensive product traceability
and control systems, supplier management policies, internal
alert systems, inspection mechanisms and other policies, but
it still needs to provide a detailed implementation schedule
for banning GE ingredients in other brand products. It will
make related commitments and specific policies available
to the public.
4. Beijing Ito Yokado
Beijing Ito Yokado has made clear commitments on
banning GE ingredients in its own-brand foods and other
fresh unpacked vegetables, fruits, and grains sold in its
supermarkets. In its own-brand vegetables, fruits, and
grains, Beijing Ito Yokado promises to ban all five pesticides
listed. Regarding other fresh vegetables, fruits, and grains,
the supermarket promises to ban WHO I pesticides and
organophosphate pesticides. The supermarket has also
promised to establish a comprehensive product traceability
system, supplier management policies, an internal alert
system, and inspection mechanisms. Beijing Ito Yokado has
currently made available to the public its policies on banning
GE and pesticides use, and will eventually make public its
product traceability and inspection systems.
Supermarket Details
5. Huapu (Jian Mart)
Huapu does not have its own-brand foods; it has promised
to ban GE fresh and unpackaged vegetables, fruits, and
grains, and to ban WHO I pesticides and organophosphate
pesticides from their production process. The supermarket
has also promised to establish a comprehensive product
traceability system, supplier management policies, an
internal alert system, and inspection mechanisms. In the
future the supermarket will open their product traceability
system and related information to the public.7. NGS
NGS has made clear commitments that its own-brand
foods are not GE, and has clearly banned WHO I pesticides
and organophosphate pesticides from their production
process. The supermarket has also promised to establish
a comprehensive product traceability system, supplier
management policies, an internal alert system, and
inspection mechanisms, it has also provided a timetable,
and will make some specific policies open to consumers.
6. Aeon & Jusco Beijing (North China)
Aeon does not have its own-brand foods. It has committed
to ban GE fresh and unpackaged fruits, vegetables, and
grains, and to ban the use of organophosphate pesticides
from their production process. The supermarket has also
promised to establish a comprehensive product traceability
Supermarket Details
system, supplier management policies, an internal alert
system, and inspection mechanisms. It will make open to
consumers the results of banning pesticides, and its product
traceability system, inspection mechanisms, and related
information.
Supermarket Details
9. Wellcome (Hong Kong)
The supermarket has clear non-GE policies for Wellcome-
brand foods. The supermarket has implemented a product
traceability system, inspection mechanisms, and other
policies to reduce the use of pesticides at the source.
11. Tied
Beijing Hualian (including Lianhua, Hualian, and Century
Mart), Lotus, Jusco (South China), Jusco (Hong Kong),
Park and Shop, Chaoshifa, Jingkelong, and Wu-mart
These supermarkets have not given any commitments
regarding the banning of GE foods or phasing out the five
types of pesticides listed. Nor have they established related
management and control policies.
10. Vanguard
Vanguard does not have clear policies on GE foods and
pesticides use. It has provided the list of pesticides to
related suppliers, with the suggestion that they avoid using,
as much as possible, the pesticides on the list.
8. Walmart
Walmart has committed to ensure all rice as well as their
own-brand rice products are GE-free, and will establish
accompanying policies. For pesticides, Walmart is currently
experimenting with regulations at the source of production.
At the same time, the supermarket is establishing and will
gradually improve a comprehensive product traceability
system, supplier management policies, an internal alert
system, and inspection mechanisms, and will make some
specific policies open to consumers.
19. Tied
Chengdu Ito Yokado
The supermarket has not provided any specific information
in response to Greenpeace’s questionnaire, and nor
did Greenpeace find any information on its official website
regarding policies on GE foods and pesticide use.
However, Ito Yokado in Japan has already established a
relatively complete vegetable-product traceability system,
and made this information open to consumers. At the same
time, the supermarket in Japan has long-term plans to reduce
the quantity of all pesticides used to 50% of the average. In
contrast, the Chengdu Ito Yokado appears to disregard the
food safety of Chinese consumers with its double standard
on product traceability systems and policies on pesticide
use.
Tesco
Tesco has not provided any specific information on their
policies toward GE foods and phasing out pesticide use in
response to Greenpeace’s survey; Greenpeace also did
not find any information regarding these policies on their
official website. Yet Tesco in the UK has banned GE foods
in its own-brand products, and does not use GE-feed in
raising its organic animals. In contrast, Tesco appears to
disregard the safety of its consumers in China in its double-
standard on GE.
Supermarket Details
Disclaimer: This guide ranks supermarkets in terms of their policies and measures on the banning of GE foods and the phasing out of pesticides. The ranking guide covers only information from the supermarkets’ responses to our questionnaire, “A Greenpeace Investigation on Supermarket Policies and Measures on Rejecting GE Foods and Reducing the Use of Pesticides,” as well as information available to the public on the supermarkets’ official websites as of Dec 8, 2009.
http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/