Metro Turkey Published Impact Report for 2021

Metro Turkey has released its 6th annual Impact Report, evaluating its sustainability performance. Having pioneered the Impact Report format in the Turkish retail sector last year to share the overall impact of its operations and take action accordingly, Metro Turkey shares its performance in 2021 and its future goals in line with its sustainability vision.

In the report, Metro Turkey presents a detailed summary of its sustainability strategy, focus areas, and performance in these areas, as well as the projects and practices developed . Metro Turkey has structured its sustainability roadmap separately for society, environmental impact, supply chain, corporate customers, and employees, bringing them together under a single strategy. Having reviewed its sustainability strategy to align with changing conditions and priorities, Metro Turkey continues its sustainability journey with updated goals under the slogan "Alongside Tomorrow, In the Heart of the Business."

June 29, 2022, Istanbul – Metro Turkey, which has been working for over 30 years with a focus on sustainability to preserve and pass on Turkish culinary culture and values ​​to future generations, has published its 6th annual Impact Report this year. Prepared in accordance with the "core" option of the GRI Standards published by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) , which Metro Turkey first published in the retail sector last year to report all positive and negative impacts and take action accordingly, the report shares Metro Turkey's performance in 2021 and its future goals in line with its sustainability vision.

Commenting on the Impact Report, Metro Turkey CEO Sinem Türüng said, “At Metro Turkey, we believe that sustainable success and sustainable development are possible with business models that respect natural resources and people, are inclusive, and are in harmony with the planet's resources. We approach sustainability from a multifaceted perspective and, aware of our responsibility as a corporate citizen, we strive to create added value for everyone in our sphere of influence. We design our sustainability strategy separately for society, our environmental impact, our supply chain, our corporate customers, and our employees, and we bring together all our work in these different areas under a single strategy. We review our strategy to ensure it adapts to changing conditions and priorities, and we continue our efforts to keep it dynamic. In 2021, we re-evaluated and updated our goals within our strategy, and we continue our sustainability journey with the slogan "Alongside Tomorrow, In the Heart of the Business." With the Impact Report we have prepared, we present a comprehensive summary of the impacts arising from our activities, our achievements to date, our performance results, the projects we have implemented to strengthen tomorrow, our future goals, and our commitments.”

51% reduction in food waste

By 2030, Metro Turkey has achieved the United Nations' goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50% by 2021, reducing food waste by 2017 percent compared to 51. Metro Turkey, which delivers the still consumable food to the needy through food banks, saved 2021 tons of food in 1.046, ensured that approximately 2 million 5 hundred thousand meals were delivered to those in need, and prevented the formation of 2.615 tons of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions. As a result of the studies carried out to reduce the carbon footprint, energy intensity was reduced by 9.3% and greenhouse gas emission intensity by approximately 10% compared to last year.

107 tons of food waste can be reused

Metro Turkey re-sells products that are usable and consumable but cannot be sold in the aisle because the expiration date is approaching, or are removed from sale due to packaging damage, through Excess Food. In 2021, nearly 200 tons of food was saved from being waste with resale, while selling it to animal feed manufacturers in order to ensure the reuse of food waste generated in stores, ensuring that 107 tons of food waste can be reused. Including catering customers in the fight against food waste

Metro Turkey carried out 2021 hours of internal training for its own employees in 35.000 alone. On the other hand, in 2022, it continues to support the sustainability transformation of restaurant businesses by implementing Sustainable Restaurant activities.

Track food, feed on knowledge!  

In 2020, by saying "Track the food, feed on the information" to the consumers, "What's on your plate?" Metro Turkey, which started the project, put the issue of traceability at the center of its sustainability studies in 2021. From store meat production to fruit and vegetables, from Metro branded honey to all carcasses, the vacuum provided 100% traceability for meat and cultured fish, and more than 80% for sea fish. "What's on your plate?" With its movement, it was deemed worthy of the “Best Sustainability Project during the Pandemic Period” award at the 3rd Golden Spoon Gastronomy Award ceremony, and the Felis award in the “Sustainability Communication” category in Felis 2021.

63% of eggs are cage-free

While offering its customers healthy and safe animal foods, Metro Turkey prioritizes acting in a respectful manner to nature and animal rights, ensuring that all Metro branded fresh and frozen meat products are produced in accordance with 100% animal health and welfare standards by inspecting all animal farms. 25% of Metro brand eggs were procured from cage-free systems, an increase of approximately 63% compared to last year. In this context, Metro Turkey is committed to ensuring that all its own branded eggs will be cage-free by the end of 2023, and all eggs on its shelves by 2025.

Continuing to be the solution partner of HORECA customers 

In 2021, Metro Turkey, in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry , prepared a guide titled "Guide to Combating Food Waste in Hotels, Restaurants and Other Mass Consumption Establishments," which includes practices and recommendations to reduce food waste in the HORECA sector. This initiative aimed to raise awareness of food waste in the sector, encourage chefs and industry professionals to adopt and implement these practices, and played a pioneering role in this field. The guide addresses topics such as combating food waste, food waste in the world and in Turkey, food waste measurement studies, establishing and training a food waste management team, preventing food waste, separating and measuring food waste, and managing unavoidable food waste. Furthermore, Metro Turkey continues to offer sustainability, waste management, and menu solutions through the HORECA sector's first digital sustainability platform.

It will save 500 tons of sea fish

Metro Turkey started to produce with a brand new feed content in sea bass and sea bream for the first time in Turkey on an industrial scale, with the project "In Front of What It Eats, In Tomorrow That It Doesn't Eat", which was implemented in 2021 with the motto of "Let the fish in the seas stay for tomorrow" in order to ensure nutritiveness and sustainability in farm fisheries. With the project, which aims to increase fish welfare, it is planned to raise 2022 tons of sea bass and sea bream and to save approximately 400 tons of sea fish by the end of 500. Within the scope of sustainable fishing activities, 12% of Metro branded products and 65% of supplier branded products were obtained from certified sources among the 81 best-selling fish species.

100% purchase guarantee for the product produced with local seeds

With the aim of preserving and passing on Turkish culinary culture and values ​​to future generations, Metro Turkey believes that localization is one of the most important steps to be taken in this direction. Therefore, it continues to contribute to local producers and products grown with local seeds. In the last year, it has increased the number of cooperatives it works with, collaborating with over 800 producers and producer organizations, and 40 women entrepreneurs and cooperatives; providing them with training and procurement support to promote sustainable production. Metro Turkey, which exports 12.500 tons of geographically indicated and local products to 10 countries in which it operates over the last three years, achieved approximately a 25% increase in sales of geographically indicated products in its stores in 2021. Through training sessions conducted in collaboration with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office and YUciTA executives, it has provided training to 2.300 teachers from the Food and Beverage Services Department across Turkey.

2x increase in organic labeled products

The healthy eating trend, which has risen during the pandemic period, has increased the interest of consumers especially in foods containing less salt, fat and sugar. In addition, the demand for organic products has increased day by day. Taking this trend into account, Metro Turkey reformulated more than 70 Metro branded products to contain less sugar, salt and oil, and doubled the number of products with organic labels. The number of food and non-food plant-based products on the shelves of Metro Turkey, which has released 29 new products under its own brand that also contains alternative protein for vegans, has reached 300.

Source: HORECA Trend and Metro Turkey