Albert Heijn, like Lidl, will discontinue air shipping of fruits and vegetables. From June 1, for example, sugarsnaps, passion fruits, and oranges will no longer be delivered by plane to the Netherlands. The only modes of transportation will be sea containers and vehicle haulage. It is one of the initiatives being taken by the retailer to make its entire supply chain more sustainable.
According to the grootgrutter, the majority of the vegetables and fruits are grown in the Netherlands. She hopes to increase her aandeel by working together with telers. For products that cannot be purchased in the Netherlands, the company tries to buy as close to home as possible. A number of factors still play a role here. Thus AH considers quality, durability, food safety, and cost.
“From June 1, 2023, all our unprocessed fruits and vegetables will be transported via sea container or road transport. You don’t make a choice like that overnight. We also have a responsibility towards our suppliers with whom we work for decades,” says AH director of merchandising and sourcing Henk van Harn. “We find it important to deal responsibly with our share of environmental impact. We want to keep the impact of our activities as small as possible.”
