Protecting human rights

Human rights due diligence

The REWE Group is committed to clear rules for both our own business practices and those along our supply chains worldwide. We have firmly established that commitment in our human rights policy statement and in our fairness guidelines. We source many products and product ingredients through supply chains that, in some cases, stretch across several countries. In particular, the risk of violations of labour and welfare standards is higher in raw materials and agricultural production. For that reason, we have for years advocated for increased human rights protections in these areas and for the promotion of fair trade. We conduct risk analyses and use raw materials that have been certified by standards organizations like Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade for our private label brands. We also participate in multi-stakeholder initiatives like the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (Textilbündnis), the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, and the Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil. We also run our own projects and training programmes within our supply chains.

Cotton and textiles
	2017	2018	2019
	70	85	88

Cotton and textiles

Our goal: 100 % of the textiles used for private label brands in Germany certified by Cotton made in Africa and GOTS by the end of 2025.

Our goals:

By the end of 2020, we had integrated 100 percent of tier 1 production facilities in high-risk countries into the REWE Group’s social improvement program.
By 2030, one hundred percent of strategic suppliers to REWE and PENNY in Germany will have completed our Capacity Building training program.
By the end of 2025, the REWE Group will have launched a complaints system in all relevant supply chains.

Certified orange juice

All of our around 5,800 REWE and PENNY stores have been selling only certified sustainable orange juice under their own brand names since early 2020.

Gender equity

We have launched many projects aimed at improving the living and working conditions of women within our supply chains.

Certified Coffee

Coffee farmers in developing countries work hard but don’t always receive fair pay. That is why, from the end of 2020 onwards, we will be buying only sustainably produced coffee that is certified by organizations like Fairtrade, Bio, and Rainforest Alliance/UTZ.

Christmas trees

Since 2018, toom Baumarkt DIY stores and Fair Trees have been supporting fair working conditions for people who harvest seeds for Christmas tree farming in the nation of Georgia.

Working together for more sustainable textiles

We support the Grüner Knopf initiative of Germany’s federal government. More and more REWE and PENNY products carry the official certification mark. The results so far.

More than a trend.

Sustainability has been anchored in our mission statement since 2008 and has been practiced through sustainability management ever since.

Four stages to fairness

The REWE Group employs a four-stage process to systematically identify, minimize, and prevent potentially negative human rights implications of our business activities.

Stage 1: We conduct thorough risk and hot-spot analyses to identify possible impacts.

Stage 2: From the insights gained in stage 1, we identify key issues and raw materials that carry a risk of violations of labour and social standards. The two topics on which our efforts focus are “child labour and forced labour” and “living wages and income.”

Stage 3: We develop measures to reduce negative impacts. Some of these measures are undertaken within the REWE Group, for instance training our purchasers. Others are taken in our supply chains, implementing projects, or requiring suppliers to use certified raw materials. Our work also extends beyond our own supply chains, for instance, by collaborating on the further development of standards organizations.

Stage 4: We monitor and evaluate the above activities and then apply the findings to continually develop the measures.

More information on the strategic approach in our sustainability report

Clear commitment to human rights

In April 2019, the REWE Group published a policy statement on human rights in which we commit to clear rules for our own business activities and our global supply chains. Our comprehensive responsibility is also reflected in our Guideline on Fairness, where we express our commitment to strengthening human rights, improving working conditions, and promoting fair trade within the supply chains for our private label products. Our Sustainability Report describes the principles and policies as well as measures we are taking to implement them.

Declaration of human rights

To declaration

Guideline on living wages and incomes

To guideline

Guideline on prevention of child labour

To guideline

Guideline on fairness

To guideline