Cultivation & Raw Materials

Platform for sustainable cocoa

The Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa was launched in the reporting year. Its objective is to increase sustainability in the cocoa production chain and value-added chain in order to improve the living conditions of cocoa producers and their families.

Migros, Chocolat Frey and Denner are founding members, among numerous other representatives from the cocoa-processing industry, retail, associations, official bodies and NGOs. First milestone of the alliance: The aim is for 80% of cocoa-containing products imported into Switzerland to originate from sustainable production by 2025.

Sustainable banana cultivation

As part of Generation M, Migros has set itself the target of obtaining all bananas in the Migros range from environmentally and socially sustainable cultivation by the end of 2017. Since 2016, it has offered bananas from a WWF model project in addition to those certified under the Bio, Fairtrade Max Havelaar and Rainforest Alliance programmes. A report to be published by WWF in summer 2018 will reveal how much progress banana producers have made with implementing the sustainability measures on their farms.

The Migros Cooperatives Aare, Lucerne and Geneva began offering organic bananas from the Canary Islands in 2017. The banana trees flourish almost all year round in this mild subtropical climate. After being picked, they are transported to Switzerland by sea, then on to their final destinations by road or rail. In comparison with bananas from Central or South America, the transport route for bananas from the Canaries is 65% shorter.

Sustainable rice from northern Italy

As part of the Sairisi project, Migros has been working with other food producers since 2016 to increase biodiversity, improve ground fertility and reduce use of pesticides in rice cultivation in northern Italy. Training courses were held for beginners and the more advanced in 2017; a total of 129 farmers took part.

The training covered topics such as soil health, nutrients and sustainable water management in detail with relevant examples. The participants also had the opportunity to carry out soil tests with the state rice institute Ente Risi. Migros participated in field visits.

Monitored working conditions in the Mediterranean

To ensure that fruit and vegetable producers in the Mediterranean offer socially responsible working conditions, the Migros Group adheres to the international standard GlobalGAP Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GlobalGAP GRASP).

In 2017, 47% of all fruit and vegetable producers from Italy, Spain, Greece and Israel that supply Migros Group companies were audited in accordance with the GlobalGAP GRASP criteria. The implementation within the Migros Group looks as follows: 

Palm oil from sustainable sources

In WWF's palm oil rating for 2017, Tegut improved its rating considerably in comparison with 2015. Thus, the Migros subsidiary occupies a strong position among the 255 German companies assessed. Migros was given this excellent rating as a result of using physically sustainable palm oil in 65% of own-brand food. In comparison, the proportion in 2015 was 0%.

Soy-free feed for organically raised laying hens

By the end of 2017, all organic eggs sold by Migros Cooperative Retailing originated from laying hens fed with soy-free feed. In place of soy, sunflower meal is used as the protein component in the feed. Sunflower meal is a by-product of sunflower oil production. By eliminating soy in the feed of organically raised hens, Migros is able to drastically reduce the proportion of soy used in animal feed.

Expansion of the range of FSC-certified toiletries

Migros is a pioneer when it comes to conversion to FSC-certified incontinence products: in 2017, it became the first retailer in Switzerland to offer FSC-certified unisex and female incontinence pads under the own-brand "Secure". Migros has thus taken further steps to enhance its range of wood and paper products that originate from sustainable sources. By the end of 2017, close to 83% of wood and paper products in Migros supermarkets met the sustainability guidelines.

Current state of implementation

Since 2016, Migros Cooperative Retailing has sold only fish and seafood that originates from sustainable sources, and the company is steadily increasing the proportion of products with a sustainability label.

As part of the minimum requirements, the Migros Group retailers and the M-Industry companies have made a pledge to no longer sell any fish species that have been categorised as "non-sustainable" in terms of population or breeding methods. Since 2017, this categorisation has been based on the annual assessment by Naturland, a renowned organisation for organic agriculture. At the same time, the aim is to steadily increase the proportion of products with a sustainable label (MSC, ASC, Bio).

Perch from domestic production

Perch is a popular food in Switzerland. However, yields from domestic production have steadily fallen in recent years. As a result, more and more products are imported from north-eastern Europe or German aquaculture.

In 2017, Micarna decided that it would build its own production plant for perch in Birsfelden (BL) in 2018, with the aim of producing sustainable fish for the Swiss market. The water used in the plant is treated and recycled; as a result, up to 500 times less water is needed in comparison with conventional flow-through systems. At the same time, nutrients are recovered and can be used as fertiliser in farming, for example. The aim is for 90 t of perch fillet per year to be produced by this method from 2019.

Animal welfare standards: focus on foreign products

Migros also aims to introduce Swiss animal welfare standards in Cooperative Retailing for all products from abroad by the end of 2020. In 2017, considerable progress was made with the species cattle, for example. More information can be found on the Generation M website.

Project "Hahn im Glück"

Each year, billions of male chicks are killed straight after hatching because they cannot lay eggs. Demeter Switzerland launched "Hahn im Glück" in 2017. As part of this project, male chicks are not killed, but instead raised and sold as young roosters at the age of 12 to 14 weeks. The Migros Cooperative Zurich now offers this meat at all Alnatura stores and selected Migros branches. From 2019, "Hahn im Glück" will be firmly established in the MCZ's product range.

Cameras at the slaughterhouse

In 2017, Micarna installed several cameras along the slaughter process at the pig slaughterhouse in Courtepin (FR). These facilitate transparency and seamless documentation of animal welfare throughout the whole slaughter process, and are part of a research project through which Micarna aims to improve the pig slaughter process.

The cameras allow Micarna and external inspectors to trace the entire process, individual process stages, or animals as far back as two months. This results in new findings that can be used to make the slaughter process less stressful for animals. In addition to cameras, the dual scales that were installed in 2016 make an important contribution to gentle slaughter and quality assurance.

Research projects to increase animal welfare

In the area of animal welfare, Migros works closely with various research institutions. In 2017, it supported a project by the University of Bern's Vetsuisse Faculty and IP-Suisse, concerned with animal welfare in calf fattening. The project is researching a new approach to calf fattening, in which the animals are held in a new type of outdoor system. This is expected to improve their health and reduce the use of medication.

Animal welfare in the non-food area

Schild, Globus and Herren Globus signed up to the international "Fur Free Retailer" programme in 2017 and have not sold any products made from or containing real fur since the 2017/18 autumn/winter season. Migros signed this agreement in 2011.

Globus, Micasa and Interio have begun to apply the standards Downpass 2017 Standard, Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and Traceable Down Standard for their bedding products. Under these standards, companies are monitored strictly to ensure they do not engage in live plucking or force feeding.