Co-op

Please note that PAN UK updated this supermarket’s profile in March 2023 to reflect new information provided by the company. This is independent of the ranking results of 2021, which we will update in 2024 following another survey.

Co-op came third out of ten supermarkets in the 2021 ranking, moving up one position since 2019. The company has increased its efforts on pesticide reduction significantly over the past two years and implemented a wide range of positive changes. When compared to other supermarkets, they are now one of the most open about pesticides and as a result scored well on transparency. They have also removed all hazardous pesticides from their gardening and pet ranges. However, the company is not doing enough to boost organic sales across all of its stores. In common with all other UK supermarkets, Co-op could be doing more to reduce pesticide-related harms in its global supply chains.

How is Co-op doing on pesticides?

Selling pesticide products

Outstanding

Co-op has implemented a range of positive changes to its pesticide product range. It has removed all high-risk, synthetic pesticide products from its gardening range, and replaced them with select non-chemical alternatives which they actively promote to their customers. They have also addressed the presence of pesticides in their pet care range, removing all products containing fipronil (a pesticide which can be extremely harmful to the environment and to bees and pollinators in particular) in favour of non-chemical alternatives. Their website states “In 2021, we committed to only selling organic, natural or benign crop protection pesticides. Low-risk pesticides include many natural pesticides and a small number of synthetic pesticides that are of low risk”. The company did point out in November 2021 that they have old pet care stocks leftover in some of their stores and their warehouse, which will take some months to get rid of completely.

Being transparent about pesticides

Outstanding

(Updated in March 2023)

Despite only having one sentence on their website about pesticides when they were last surveyed, Co-op is now one of the most transparent supermarkets about pesticides. Since 2019, they have created a stand-alone page on their website which clearly outlines the company’s approach to pesticides and what actions it is taking to reduce pesticide use and related harms. The page is easy for customers to access, navigate and understand, with obvious links to further documents, including the company’s full pesticide policy. Co-op is one of only two UK supermarkets to publish three years’ worth of detailed results from its in-house residue testing programme. This data includes graphs and tables and is updated regularly – in summer 2023 the company published results up until the end of 2022. In 2023, the Co-op also published a list of the 16 pesticides it has prioritised for phase out across its global supply chains. The company has now implemented all of PAN UK’s transparency recommendations.

Phasing out the most hazardous pesticides

Making good progress

(Updated in March 2023)

Since the last supermarket ranking in 2019, Co-op has made a clear and public commitment to the ‘’Phasing out of Highly Hazardous Pesticides” from their supply chains. Following a complex process involving its suppliers, in 2022 it identified 16 Highly Hazardous Pesticides to prioritise for phase out throughout its global supply chains. This list includes chlorpyrifos, shown to negatively affect the cognitive development of foetuses and young children, clothianidin and imidacloprid, two of the most bee-toxic neonicotinoids, and paraquat which is acutely toxic to humans and poses a particular threat to worker health. The company intends to update the list regularly.

The Co-op’s fresh produce suppliers must do everything they can to avoid using these 16 chemicals. The company told PAN UK that “if phase out is not possible due to a lack of alternatives” then suppliers must assess the risks associated to the continued use of the pesticide in question, and create action plans aimed at minimising these risks and ultimately phasing out its use. Suppliers outside of fresh produce (such as those that sell processed food) are encouraged but not required to do the same.

However, as with all UK supermarkets, Co-op could be doing more in this area. For example, the company told PAN UK that, while it is keen to do more to protect worker health, it doesn’t currently require workers in its supply chains to take additional safety measures when dealing with pesticides of particular concern, relying instead on external farm assurance schemes (such as Global GAP) and action by its suppliers.

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Supporting suppliers to use non-chemical alternatives

Making good progress

Co-op has updated its pesticide policy which now includes a clear commitment to support its suppliers to reduce pesticide use and adopt non-chemical alternatives. The company has set up a new supplier forum which will be used to develop plans and share best practice on ways to reduce pesticide use and adopt non-chemical alternatives via peer to peer learning. Co-op has also trained its team and contracted specialists to provide both guidance and bespoke advice to growers, with a particular focus on farms outside the EU where more harmful pesticides tend to be used more. Co-op also told PAN UK that it makes efforts to reduce post-harvest use of pesticides through a range of measures including using biopesticides and non-chemical treatment for rots where possible and ensuring that produce is both stored and transported in a way which lessens the need for fungicides (which prevent fresh produce from rotting).

Unlike some other supermarkets, Co-op does not currently conduct its own research into non-chemical alternatives to pesticides. However, the company did tell PAN UK that it is planning to begin work in this area to support the development and uptake of alternatives to specific chemicals it has prioritised for phase out.

Reducing harm caused to bees and pollinators

Making good progress

(Updated in March 2023)

Coop has made significant progress in implementing measures to protect bees and other pollinators and enable them to thrive in and around their suppliers’ farms. The company has a detailed policy in place with clear commitments to encourage pollinator-friendly practices across their supply chains, and has trained staff to work with suppliers to adopt these practices. The company has set up supplier forums and is running activities, including farm visits, to directly encourage the use of pollinator-friendly practices among its growers. Co-op also told PAN UK that it will be funding research on both the effects of pesticides on pollinators and alternative non-chemical practices that could be employed by farmers. In 2022, it started an internship programme and supported a PhD student to study mason bees and develop content for the company on non-chemical alternatives which has been shared with suppliers. Co-op has also placed two of the most bee-toxic neonicotinoids on its list of 16 pesticides that are prioritised for phase-out from its global supply chains.

However, like all UK supermarkets, Co-op could be doing more in this area. While the company has prioritised two neonicotinoids for phase out, in the meantime, it continues to use both chemicals. A third neonicotinoid (thiamethoxam) and a number of other bee-toxic pesticides, such as fipronil, currently have no restrictions on their use.  However, the company did tell PAN UK that under its new pesticide policy its list of pesticides flagged for phase out will be updated regularly so these pesticides may well be added at a later date. While Co-op does not currently require its suppliers to monitor pollinator activity, it does encourage them to do so and told PAN UK that this will be a topic for discussion in one of its upcoming supplier forums.

Engaging with customers on reducing pesticide use

Making good progress

Co-op told PAN UK that they are taking the following actions to involve their customers in reducing pesticide use in their supply chains:

  • In response to complaints from customers who find a bug in fresh produce, Co-op explains that this may be because their suppliers are using less pesticides.
  • Co-op includes an ‘imperfect’ range of fruit and vegetables in their ‘Honest Value’ line, thereby reducing the need for cosmetic pesticides. The company is also reviewing its packaging to include more information and encourage customers to choose ‘wonky’ produce.
  • The company doesn’t particularly focus on promoting seasonality more generally, but does promote UK produce which is likely to be sold in season and be grown closer to home. This keeps supply chains short and tends to lessen the need to use fungicides which prevent fresh produce from rotting while it is being transported.
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Monitoring and reducing pesticide residues in food

(Updated in March 2023)

Co-op has expanded the range of food items that it tests for pesticide residues. The company continues to test fruit and vegetables, rice, fish, dairy, meat and wheat products such as bread and pasta, and has now added frozen produce, cereal products, nuts, wine and popcorn. The company told PAN UK that it also conducts risk assessments on all other types of food (as well as some non-food items) to decide whether they should be included in its testing programme.

Co-op made some major improvements to its residue testing programme in 2022. It now expects all of its fresh produce suppliers to conduct an investigation and provide information to the company in the following circumstances:

  1. Where the residues of five or more different pesticides are detected. This measure is in response to concerns around evidence that some pesticides can become more harmful when combined (known as ‘the cocktail effect’).
  2. Where a pesticide that is identified by PAN International as particularly harmful to human health or the environment (and is therefore classified as a “Highly Hazardous Pesticide”) appears in a food item in an amount that is more than 50% of the legal limit.

Co-op does refer to the results of its residue testing programme to underpin its approach, using it to both inform its decisions on which pesticides to prioritise for phase out, and to identify which farmers need greater support to switch to non-chemical alternatives.

Boosting organic sales

Could do better

(Updated in March 2023)

Co-op sells a relatively limited range of organic food, with 25 different products in fresh produce plus organic milk and wine. It told PAN UK that “Co-op is a convenience focused retailer and thus our [organic] range is limited”. The company has, however, hired a dedicated organic produce buyer and has plans in place to increase the availability of organic products in 80 of its stores that already enjoy relatively high organic sales. Co-op is also taking actions to boost sales through promotional activities it is running for Organic September. While this is better than many other supermarkets which are not proactively promoting organic, and certainly better than the majority of other convenience stores which tend to stock little or no organic produce, Co-op should consider taking a broader approach by working to increase organic sales across all of its stores and expanding its promotional communications beyond the month-long initiative. It should also consider putting in place measures to support its non-organic suppliers to convert to organic production.

What is PAN UK asking supermarkets to do?

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How do the supermarkets compare?

Click on the logos below for more detail on how each supermarket is doing on pesticides.

How is Aldi doing on pesticides?
How is ASDA doing on pesticides?
How is Coop doing on pesticides?
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How is Sainsbury's doing on pesticides?
How is Tesco doing on pesticides?
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