Conserving natural resources

On a global scale, water is a very unevenly distributed resource. Agriculture, especially crop irrigation, is the biggest user of water around the world, accounting for 70% of water consumption. That is why Migros is committed to the responsible use of this natural resource, especially for farming in dry regions. In Switzerland, Migros' own industrial enterprises always take care to ensure that water is used sparingly. As a producer and retailer of food, Migros is reliant on natural raw materials, so biodiversity is also very important to the company. The TerraSuisse label in particular is testament to Migros' commitment to biodiversity. The company also believes in the ecological design of company premises and many of its employees take part in voluntary nature assignments during work time. On an international level, Migros is committed to sustainable fishing and the protection of rainforests.

Conserving water resources

Water is overused in many parts of the world and the quality of this scarce resource is also a major challenge in some areas. Migros has therefore assessed hotspot regions with potential usage conflicts relating to water. These are regions from which the company only procures small amounts of products that require a lot of water to grow, as well as areas where a large number of products are cultivated with average water consumption. The aim of the analysis is to use water more efficiently and sparingly in agriculture and enable suppliers to use the resource more responsibly; to this end, Migros plays an active part in refining and integrating water-saving measures in existing standards such as GlobalGAP.

In 2012 Migros scrutinised strawberry production in southern Spain during a pilot project. Together with WWF Spain, it defined a set of requirements relating to aspects such as water management and lawful use of water and land. Independent auditors assessed 38 suppliers locally. Migros also helped Indian farmers to increase rice production in a region that has enough ground water and does not need artificial irrigation due to natural water from the monsoon.

The industrial enterprises are the biggest water consumers within Migros. But thanks to various conservation measures, water consumption has remained constant over the past years, despite increased production. For example, Micarna launched a project in 2012 to reuse cooling water from production facilities. Structural adaptations have made it possible to utilise the microbiologically clean water in another process that previously used drinking water, saving 30.5 million litres of water each year.

In addition, Migros has reduced its total water consumption by around 50% since 1990, not least because of considerably less water consumption in its stores.

Charts water consumption

Conserving biodiversity

With its activities, services and products, Migros has both a direct and indirect influence on biodiversity. The conventional cultivation of agricultural products is one of the main burdens on the environment. At the same time, biodiversity is an important resource for Migros as the company relies on natural raw materials. For this reason, Migros is committed to the responsible use of biodiversity along the entire value-added chain. In Switzerland, the «TerraSuisse» label in particular is testament to this commitment.

The programme focuses on the conservation of biodiversity in important areas in addition to animal-friendly husbandry and the environmentally friendly cultivation of cereal, potatoes, fruit and rape. Migros aims to increase species-rich habitats on IP-Suisse farms by 30% before the end of 2013: this area had already grown by 44% at the end of 2012. Abroad, Migros is especially committed to sustainable fishing and the protection of rainforests.