Human rights are not negotiable for us. They are the aim of our measures – right down to the global supply chains. We act according to the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LkSG). Our human rights officer monitors and evaluates the implementation.
We are involved in alliances, standards, and initiatives such as amfori, Cotton made in Africa, the “Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao” (German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa) and the Grüner Knopf (Green Button) as well as in agreements such as the “International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment Industry”. We participate in the INA “Working Group of the German Retail Trade on Living Wages and Income”.
Our strategic suppliers use a sustainability assessment platform. On basis of the results further development measures are agreed and trainings are hold.
We support the development of the Appellando grievance mechanism, an alliance for grievance systems in supply chains.
In our factory improvement training programme, we support strategic suppliers and production facilities in setting up internal grievance mechanisms and train them on topics such as health and safety, wages and working hours and ethical recruitment, also with focus on women.
As part of an industry initiative, the DERTOUR Group is developing training courses for its partners on human rights due diligence in the travel and tourism value chain.
47
At the end of 2022, toom Baumarkt DIY store became the first retailer in Germany to launch a pilot project with Fairtrade for more fair-trade cuttings in order to improve working conditions in the Global South. In 2023, the number of plants was increased – to 47 products (2022: 35).
Income from orange cultivation
We work closely with Fairtrade to enable farmers earning a living income. With every pack of private label Fairtrade orange juice sold, we contribute to this locally. Since the end of 2023, we have been paying the cooperatives and farmers a voluntary additional contribution that is linked to the quantity of orange juice concentrate sold.
The implementation of human rights due diligence throughout the entire value chain is an ongoing process. We continue to analyse the risks on an ongoing basis and adapt our measures accordingly (see Supply Chain chapter).
In 2023, we used communication formats such as the group-wide intranet to convey the core content of the LkSG to our employees. We also initiated the integration of LkSG content into the group-wide compliance training programme.
The expectations placed on our suppliers to fulfil their corporate due diligence obligations under the LkSG have been integrated into our Supplier Code of Conduct and communicated to our strategic suppliers.
An internal e‑learning programme on the obligations of the LkSG was developed for the purchasing department at REWE and PENNY in Germany.
We have defined guidelines with requirements and objectives based on risk analyses for the focus raw materials. Social issues are therefore firmly integrated into our procurement processes. Our targets for purchasing certified focus raw materials such as palm oil, coffee, cotton, and natural stones have been met or nearly met (see Supply Chain chapter).
98.9%
All food and non-food-Tier-1-production-sites in risk countries are integrated into our social improvement programme. 98.9 per cent of those sites have a recognised social audit (2022: 98.9 per cent).
We have carried out in-depth risk analyses for table grapes from South Africa and for the fruit and vegetable cultivation in Spain.
The DERTOUR Group was recognised as a “Top Member“ in 2023 by The Code initiative (protection of children‘s rights in the tourism industry) for its commitment to child protection, including its Policy Statement on Child Safeguarding.
REWE and Fairtrade – 30 years of partnership
In 1993, the Fairtrade-labelled “Pedro coffee” was the first product to be listed nationwide in our REWE supermarkets. Today, consumers can find one of the widest Fairtrade product ranges in Germany at REWE.
