Supermarket Rankings

1 Tied: Carrefour, Auchan

3 Shanghai City Shop

4 Beijing Ito Yokado

5 Huapu (Jian Mart)

6 Aeon & Jusco Beijing (North China)

7 NGS

8 Walmart

9 Wellcome (Hong Kong)

10 Vanguard

11 Tied: HuaLian (including Lianhua, Hualian, and Century

Mart), Lotus, Jusco (South China), Jusco (Hong Kong), Park and

Shop, Chaoshifa, Jingkelong, and Wu-mart

19 Tied: Chengdu Ito Yokado, Tesco

Legend:

The supermarket has done a lot in this area.

The supermarket has some limited policies targeting this area.

The supermarket has begun some initial policies to improve this area.

Key

1. No genetically engineered foods

The supermarket has promised to not sell genetically engineered (GE) foods,

including in their own-brand products as well as other fresh unpackaged grains,

vegetables, and fruits.

2. Ban on pesticide use

The supermarket has promised as immediate action to ban the use of most

hazardous pesticides. Specifically they committed to ban pesticides that the World

Health Organization categorizes as extremely hazardous, highly hazardous, and

moderately hazardous, and pesticide belonging the organophosphates class

(which were developed from war-time nerve gases and are known to pose long-

term negative threats to the nervous system, especially in children), as well as

pesticides that China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection have classified as

“highly polluting, high environmental risk,” and pesticides considered toxic to

bees.

In the Hong Kong region, supermarkets are also supposed to take the initiative to

implement measures to gradually decrease the total quantity of pesticides used

and evolve towards a model of ecological agriculture.

3. Establish product traceability and control

systems

The supermarket promises to establish a comprehensive traceability and control

System for their entire supply and provide timelines to achieve it. A traceability

system tracks products from the field along the way to their supermarket shelves

A traceability system allows for effective oversight of the entire production process

from field to store and ensure compliance with the supermarket’s commitments

on banning GE foods and above-mentioned priority pesticides.

4. Complementary oversight measures

The supermarket promises to implement other control measures such as

supplier management policies, an internal alert system, and product testing and

inspection mechanisms. Supplier management policies should include contracted

requirements, independent auditing, and penalties for violations.

5. Information transparency

The supermarket promises to make public its policies on banning GE foods and

above-mentioned priority pesticides, and other related matters, as well as its product

traceability system and complementary control measures.

6. Double standards

The supermarket has made commitments to ban GE foods and/or pesticides in

other countries or regional markets, but has given no such commitments in China

and Hong Kong (nationwide or regionally).

Why are genetically engineered (GE) foods dangerous?

There is still huge uncertainty regarding the long-term safety of GE foods. Scientific

experiments have found that animals fed GE foods exhibited allergy like reactions,

and some exhibited abnormal changes to their liver and kidney tissue. Releasing

GE crops into the environment can also contaminate and negatively impact natural

biodiversity. Extensive market research has found that consumers in China and

Hong Kong are clearly against GE foods. As such, Greenpeace is actively pushing

for supermarkets to respect consumer desires by making a commitment to non-GE

foods.

Why is Greenpeace asking supermarkets to ban

pesticides?

The health and environmental hazards of pesticides have been well

documented already. They can cause immediate as well as long-term

health damages. Some pesticides are highly poisonous in smallest

doses. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies pesticides

according to their acute poisonous; pesticides in Class 1 are extremely

hazardous or highly hazardous. The United Nations Food & Agriculture

Organization recommends that developing countries do not use WHO

I pesticides. Many organophosphate pesticides, which were developed

from war-time nerve gas research are listed in WHO’s classification,

in addition they pose long-term dangers for human health, especially

that of children. Many other pesticides are used in large quantities

threatening the environment and people, and pesticide residues can be

found in many foods including vegetables and fruit.

As a result, for the protection of human health and the environment,

Greenpeace is campaigning for supermarkets to ban the use of the

most hazardous pesticides as an immediate action.

Why should supermarkets take responsibility to protect

consumer safety and the environment?

Greenpeace supports the sustainable development of agriculture and cares

deeply about food safety and consumer health. We believe that food safety and

environmental protection can only be guaranteed through the joint efforts of the

government, food producers, suppliers, retailers, and consumers. As an important

retail channel, supermarkets cannot shirk their responsibility on food safety and the

environment. By taking the lead, supermarkets not only guarantee the safety and

health of consumers, but also help further the much needed reform of agriculture

towards an ecological, sustainable model. Thus, Greenpeace has gathered

information via questionnaires and other means to produce a comprehensive

comparison of the policies of China’s major supermarkets on GE foods, pesticide

use, and information transparency. We hope that the Supermarket Ranking Guide

will help consumers choose the supermarkets with the best and most comprehensive

policies in place to safeguard our health and our environment.

How was the Supermarket Ranking Guide produced?

Each supermarket was surveyed on their policies and measures on

banning GE foods and/or pesticides, product traceability and control

systems, additional complementary management policies, and information

transparency. The survey results, combined with information made

available to the public on each supermarket’s website, were turned into

scores, which were then ranked. If you would like to learn more about our

scoring system, please visit the Greenpeace website (Chinese).

Supermarket Details

1. Carrefour

Carrefour has a comprehensive policy banning GE foods in

their own-brand products as well as in fresh unpackaged fruit,

vegetables and grains. In their own-brand foods, Carrefour

promises to ban all five types of pesticides mentioned above.

For fresh vegetables and fruits sourced from their farm-direct

purchasing program, the supermarket commits to banning

WHO I and organophosphate pesticides. The supermarket

has also undertaken the establishment of a complete

product traceability system, supplier management policies,

an internal alert system, and inspection mechanisms. All

policies on banning GE and phasing out pesticides have

been made public; Carrefour will also make public its product

traceability system and supplier management policies.

1. Auchan

Auchan has made a clear commitment to ban GE foods

from its own-brand foods as well as other fresh, unpackaged

vegetables, fruit, and grains. It commits to ban four out of

the five pesticides listed in its own-brand foods and other

fresh unpackaged vegetables, fruit, and grains. Auchan

is also establishing a sound traceability system, supplier

management policies, internal alert systems, inspection

mechanisms, and other policies, and has set a timetable for

the implementation. Auchan promises to make its specific

policies public.

Tied for first

3. Shanghai City Shop

Shanghai City Shop has committed to ban all five of the

pesticides listed above in its own-brand vegetables, fruit,

and grains. It will also ban extremely hazardous and highly

hazardous pesticides and organophosphate pesticides

from other vegetables, fruit, and grains. The supermarket

has clear commitments banning GE ingredients in its own-

brand foods. Shanghai City Shop has also said that it is

working on establishing comprehensive product traceability

and control systems, supplier management policies, internal

alert systems, inspection mechanisms and other policies, but

it still needs to provide a detailed implementation schedule

for banning GE ingredients in other brand products. It will

make related commitments and specific policies available

to the public.

4. Beijing Ito Yokado

Beijing Ito Yokado has made clear commitments on

banning GE ingredients in its own-brand foods and other

fresh unpacked vegetables, fruits, and grains sold in its

supermarkets. In its own-brand vegetables, fruits, and

grains, Beijing Ito Yokado promises to ban all five pesticides

listed. Regarding other fresh vegetables, fruits, and grains,

the supermarket promises to ban WHO I pesticides and

organophosphate pesticides. The supermarket has also

promised to establish a comprehensive product traceability

system, supplier management policies, an internal alert

system, and inspection mechanisms. Beijing Ito Yokado has

currently made available to the public its policies on banning

GE and pesticides use, and will eventually make public its

product traceability and inspection systems.

Supermarket Details

5. Huapu (Jian Mart)

Huapu does not have its own-brand foods; it has promised

to ban GE fresh and unpackaged vegetables, fruits, and

grains, and to ban WHO I pesticides and organophosphate

pesticides from their production process. The supermarket

has also promised to establish a comprehensive product

traceability system, supplier management policies, an

internal alert system, and inspection mechanisms. In the

future the supermarket will open their product traceability

system and related information to the public.7. NGS

NGS has made clear commitments that its own-brand

foods are not GE, and has clearly banned WHO I pesticides

and organophosphate pesticides from their production

process. The supermarket has also promised to establish

a comprehensive product traceability system, supplier

management policies, an internal alert system, and

inspection mechanisms, it has also provided a timetable,

and will make some specific policies open to consumers.

6. Aeon & Jusco Beijing (North China)

Aeon does not have its own-brand foods. It has committed

to ban GE fresh and unpackaged fruits, vegetables, and

grains, and to ban the use of organophosphate pesticides

from their production process. The supermarket has also

promised to establish a comprehensive product traceability

Supermarket Details

system, supplier management policies, an internal alert

system, and inspection mechanisms. It will make open to

consumers the results of banning pesticides, and its product

traceability system, inspection mechanisms, and related

information.

Supermarket Details

9. Wellcome (Hong Kong)

The supermarket has clear non-GE policies for Wellcome-

brand foods. The supermarket has implemented a product

traceability system, inspection mechanisms, and other

policies to reduce the use of pesticides at the source.

11. Tied

Beijing Hualian (including Lianhua, Hualian, and Century

Mart), Lotus, Jusco (South China), Jusco (Hong Kong),

Park and Shop, Chaoshifa, Jingkelong, and Wu-mart

These supermarkets have not given any commitments

regarding the banning of GE foods or phasing out the five

types of pesticides listed. Nor have they established related

management and control policies.

10. Vanguard

Vanguard does not have clear policies on GE foods and

pesticides use. It has provided the list of pesticides to

related suppliers, with the suggestion that they avoid using,

as much as possible, the pesticides on the list.

8. Walmart

Walmart has committed to ensure all rice as well as their

own-brand rice products are GE-free, and will establish

accompanying policies. For pesticides, Walmart is currently

experimenting with regulations at the source of production.

At the same time, the supermarket is establishing and will

gradually improve a comprehensive product traceability

system, supplier management policies, an internal alert

system, and inspection mechanisms, and will make some

specific policies open to consumers.

19. Tied

Chengdu Ito Yokado

The supermarket has not provided any specific information

in response to Greenpeace’s questionnaire, and nor

did Greenpeace find any information on its official website

regarding policies on GE foods and pesticide use.

However, Ito Yokado in Japan has already established a

relatively complete vegetable-product traceability system,

and made this information open to consumers. At the same

time, the supermarket in Japan has long-term plans to reduce

the quantity of all pesticides used to 50% of the average. In

contrast, the Chengdu Ito Yokado appears to disregard the

food safety of Chinese consumers with its double standard

on product traceability systems and policies on pesticide

use.

Tesco

Tesco has not provided any specific information on their

policies toward GE foods and phasing out pesticide use in

response to Greenpeace’s survey; Greenpeace also did

not find any information regarding these policies on their

official website. Yet Tesco in the UK has banned GE foods

in its own-brand products, and does not use GE-feed in

raising its organic animals. In contrast, Tesco appears to

disregard the safety of its consumers in China in its double-

standard on GE.

Supermarket Details

Disclaimer: This guide ranks supermarkets in terms of their policies and measures on the banning of GE foods and the phasing out of pesticides. The ranking guide covers only information from the supermarkets’ responses to our questionnaire, “A Greenpeace Investigation on Supermarket Policies and Measures on Rejecting GE Foods and Reducing the Use of Pesticides,” as well as information available to the public on the supermarkets’ official websites as of Dec 8, 2009.

http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/