Page 32 - Demo

32 RESOURCES ANIMAL WELFARE STANDARDS Fish Since 2019 all our farmed fish (i.e. salmon, trout, prawns, etc.) is certified to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Standard or GLOBAL G.A.P Aquaculture Standard, which both include specific requirements on animal welfare. Achieved Fresh Meat & Poultry All of our suppliers’ sites are compliant with the Animal Welfare Acts in Ireland and Northern Ireland and are annually audited by the respective governmental departments. 100% of our fresh beef, lamb, pork, chicken and duck are Bord Bia Sustainable Assured, Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (for beef only) or Red Tractor Assured certified, which are also independently audited regularly to make sure that the animal welfare standards are met. Maintained Eggs We have publicly committed in our Responsible Sourcing Policy for Eggs that by 2025 all of our shell eggs and egg ingredients in all our own-brand products will come from cage-free hens (i.e. organic, free range or cage free). On track Non-Food For our cosmetics, hygiene and cleaning products we ensure that our suppliers don’t conduct animal testing in the development of our own-brand cosmetics and hygiene and cleaning products. In 2014, we joined the international ‘Fur Free Retailer’ programme, ensuring that no real fur is used in any of our textiles, accessories or shoes. Maintained Cage Free Eggs We are committed to working with our current supplier base on the sustainable production of eggs by transitioning towards cage-free barns, free-range and organic production systems, and we have extended this commitment to cover ingredient eggs as well. By 2025, we will source not only cage-free eggs, but we will use only cage-free eggs contained as ingredients in own-brand products. Organic, free-range and cage-free systems provide a varied environment compared to caged systems for the expression of behaviours that are important to the hen. These systems allow hens to move around, stay active and easily perform natural behaviours like nesting, perching and dust bathing which help keep them fit and healthy. All our Irish eggs are produced under the Bord Bia Sustainable Egg Assurance Scheme or the British Lion Standard, for eggs produced in Northern 36%* of shell eggs sold in 2020/21 are from non-caged production Ireland farms. Producers operating under these schemes must adhere to strict controls to ensure high levels of traceability, safety and welfare. Under these schemes each egg is consistently printed with the farming method (0=Organic, 1=Free range, 2=Barn and 3=Cage), country of origin and a code which relates to the specific farm where the egg is produced, providing our customers with the information to trace each egg back to its source. Also, our organic eggs are certified by the Organic Trust. This ensures that birds are reared to the high animal welfare standards outlined in the European Council Regulation No. 834/2007. * Some isolated cases of the bird flu in Ireland and the Covid-19 pandemic caused unique and significant demand and supply challenges for the egg sector in 2020. Both the closure of the hospitality sector, resulting in increased in-home consumption, and periods of panic buying, experienced across the grocery retail sector, drove a significant increase in demand for eggs. Lidl worked hard with its supply base during this period to keep its shelves stocked with high-quality eggs at competitive prices, ensuring it met customer demand throughout this unprecedented period. RESOURCES Protection of Ecosystems Animal Welfare Standards Environmental Protection: Supply Chain SUPPLY CHAIN Employment Related Supplier & Market Human Rights Development Corporate Environmental Management OPERATIONS Employee Responsibility Responsible Products CUSTOMER Transparency Social Value Responsible at Point of Sale Creation Communication