REWE Group Publishes Status Report "Chemical Crop Protection" As Pioneer

Cologne, 21.08.09

Austrian environmental organisation GLOBAL 2000 as partner to check data

As first trading company in Germany, REWE Group publishes a comprehensive status report on chemical crop protection in fresh fruits and vegetables. The independent Austrian environmental organisation GLOBAL 2000 was commissioned with the analysis and evaluation of the data gathered. The survey comes to the conclusion that the residue load of pesticides in fruits and vegetables has been reduced by more than 20 per cent from 2007 to 2008. In the years to come the company wants to go on to systematically reduce the residue loads from pesticides.

"By publishing this report we offer our customers a transparency that is unique in German food retailing. From now on, we will publish scientifically sound and neutrally analysed data on what we have achieved and on where we still can do better. By this, we set another example showing that we not only talk about trust, reliability and sustainability but that we also act accordingly", said Dr. Klaus Mayer, head of REWE Group's Quality Assurance division, on the occasion of the publishing  of the status report "Chemical Crop Protection" of REWE Group today (21 August).

"Our evaluation has shown that the residue load from pesticides has been reduced in 2008 compared to 2007 and that it could be improved as regards the cause of chronic and acute hazards to health. This could be due to measures to improve the quality of the production of fresh fruits and vegetables but could also be caused by the way how the analysed samples were drawn. Also climatic conditions in 2008 might have been a cause for changes in the use of pesticides. In order to be able to make a statistically valid statement on the success of the QA programme we have to observe the situation over a longer period. By implementing quality assurance continuously and consequently, REWE Group can achieve a sustainable reduction of the residue loads in fruits and vegetables. For that purpose the report serves as an ideal basis and is certainly a good example for the transparency we offer the customers", said Dr. Klaus Kastenhofer, managing director of the environmental organisation GLOBAL 2000.

In order to promote an ongoing reduction of the pesticide loads, GLOBAL 2000 recommends to define further measures, particularly for products with high residue loads and/or products that are consumed in large quantities. In the end the aim should be to reduce the pesticide load in fruits and vegetables to a minimum and possibly not to use such substances at all wherever feasible. Merchandise from organic production fulfils this demand to a wide extent already today.

Within the framework of the report all residue analysis data on fresh fruits and vegetables gathered by REWE Group in 2007 and 2008 were analysed. These analyses were based on a residue load index that was developed by GLOBAL 2000 in cooperation with REWE Group. This takes into consideration internationally recognised measuring scales such as the ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) or the Akute Referenzdosis (Acute Dose of Reference - ARfD). In order to be able to evaluate the data as realistic as possible, the residue load index is based on a special basket of goods. The 30 different fruits and vegetables comprised in that basket were chosen by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection according to the consumption habits of the German population and represent about 95 per cent of the goods mostly consumed. Moreover residue load and efficacy profiles were set up. By means of these profiles, REWE Group develops future action strategies aimed at further reducing the use of pesticides.

The Best Alliance projects of REWE Group play an outstanding role in these strategies; in these projects, the company uses contract farming and embeds system partners and NGOs.

With a turnover of almost 50 billion euros, 320,000 employees and about 15,000 stores in 16 countries REWE Group is one of the leading trading and travel and tourism companies in Europe. In Germany the company has a staff of 211,000 employees who achieved a turnover of 34 billion euros in 10,000 stores.

GLOBAL 2000 is the leading independent environmental organisation in Austria. As active member of Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), GLOBAL 2000 works for a intact environment, a future-oriented society and a sustainable development of the economy.

The status report "Chemcial Crop Protection" is available as download at: www.rewe-group.com/Statusbericht-Pflanzenschutz

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REWE GROUP-Corporate Communications
Tel.: 0221 - 149-1050
E-Mail: presse(at)rewe-group.com

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