Tesco

Tesco came sixth out of ten supermarkets in the 2021 ranking. While this is the same overall position as in 2019, the company has increased its focus on pesticide reduction over the past two years and are in the process of putting in place a number of new, positive measures. They have a relatively strong system in place for monitoring and reducing pesticide residues in food when compared to many other supermarkets. However, the company is not doing enough to protect bees and pollinators or engage with its customers on issues linked to reducing pesticide use. As with all other UK supermarkets, Tesco could be doing more to reduce pesticide-related harms in their global supply chains.

How is Tesco doing on pesticides?

Supporting suppliers to use non-chemical alternatives

Making good progress

Tesco has increased the measures it has in place to help its suppliers adopt non-chemical alternatives. The company told PAN UK that it provides its suppliers with guidance, training and bespoke advice on non-chemical management techniques and also conducts research on alternatives to pesticides. Tesco has also launched various ‘peer to peer’ learning opportunities for its suppliers such as its ‘best practice case study hub’ and told PAN UK that it “convenes leading agricultural suppliers quarterly to work collectively towards the common goal of reducing pesticide use”.

Tesco also stated that it makes efforts to reduce post-harvest use of pesticides through a range of measures including ensuring that fresh produce is packed, stored and transported in optimal conditions and using biopesticides instead of synthetic fungicides to prevent rotting. The company has also signed up to a number of external farm assurance schemes that include standards on pesticide reduction. However, it appears that Tesco may be over relying on these external schemes and could be doing more to provide direct support to its suppliers to use non-chemical methods of pest control.

When asked if the company has a clearly stated objective to promote non-chemical alternatives among its growers, Tesco was unable to point to an internal policy like some other supermarkets but instead referred PAN UK to the standards of external assurance schemes, most of which are fairly weak on pesticide reduction.

Monitoring and reducing pesticide residues in food

Making good progress

Tesco has expanded the range of food items that it tests for pesticide residues. The list of products it tests now includes fruit and vegetables, rice, herbs and spices, coffee, tea, flour, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, honey, grains and pulses, olives and olive oils, fruit juices, wheat products such as bread and pasta and baby food. Tesco still doesn’t test meat, dairy or fish like most other supermarkets. In order to identify residue problems, the company requires its suppliers to “look at the trends from residue analyses” and review the pesticide use of growers who consistently produce food containing residues which come close to the legal limit.  This is a positive step since many supermarkets only take action to tackle pesticide residues when the legal residue limit is actually exceeded.

In response to being asked how the company deals with the most serious residue problems, Tesco told PAN UK that it works with the supplier in question to identify the root causes of the problem and identify corrective actions to prevent recurrence, including looking at non-chemical methods of pest control. Short term and long-term action plans targeted at reducing residues are then developed and agreed with the supplier. If the residue problem is found to be a broader issue, then learnings are shared across Tesco Technical teams to inform future work. Tesco told PAN UK that it does refer to the results of its residue testing programme when deciding which chemicals to monitor, restrict or prohibit from use within its global supply chains.

However, while the company does work with its suppliers to make sure pesticide applications are reviewed and prevent future exceedances of legal residue limits, it doesn’t use its residue testing results to help it decide which farmers need greater support to switch to non-chemical alternatives, which is a missed opportunity.

Boosting organic sales

Making good progress

Tesco sells roughly 300 organic product lines across its stores, which is relatively high compared to most major UK supermarkets. The company has put a team of people in place with the aim of increasing its market share of organic food, and will be launching a further 32 organic products in 2021. Tesco is trialling new approaches, including messaging and signage in-store, with the aim of increasing the visibility of its organic range and ultimately boosting sales. While Tesco does encourage its farmers to produce more sustainably, the company doesn’t currently have any measures in place to support its suppliers to convert to organic food production. The company could also be doing more to communicate the benefits of organic to its staff and customers.

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Phasing out the most hazardous pesticides

Could do better

While Tesco doesn’t have an explicit commitment to phase-out highly hazardous pesticides, the company is currently reviewing its approach and is in the final stages of producing new lists of specific pesticides which will be monitored, restricted or prohibited completely from use within its global supply chains. This is a big step forward since the last supermarket ranking in 2019, when Tesco was one of the few major UK supermarkets that did not have pesticide lists. Tesco has shared its draft lists with PAN UK and, while there are some key omissions and improvements to be made, they do include bans on a number of highly hazardous pesticides of concern such as atrazine which can interfere with hormone systems. Tesco has also flagged 60 pesticides for complete phase out over the next “2 to 10 years”. Given that their phase out list includes pesticides such as chlorpyrifos (which has been shown to negatively affect the brain development of foetuses and young children), Tesco should prioritise actions to end the use of these chemicals sooner.

Tesco is at a relatively early stage of its efforts to phase out highly hazardous pesticides and its lists are still only in draft form. How serious the company is about removing the worst pesticides from its supply chains remains to be seen. If Tesco fully implements all of the changes that it is currently proposing, then the company should score more highly on phasing out the most hazardous pesticides in the next ranking.

Reducing harm caused to bees and pollinators

Could do better

Tesco continues to implement a range of measures designed to minimise the harm caused to pollinators by pesticide use within its global supply chains. For instance, the company runs a supplier network and produce forum through which its suppliers and growers can access case studies outlining best practice and sign up to take part in training on pollinator-friendly practices and trials of non-chemical alternatives. It also highlights measures designed to increase biodiversity and support pollinators to its growers.

While unlike some other supermarkets the company doesn’t currently require its suppliers to monitor pollinator activity, it did tell PAN UK that it encourages “monitoring and reporting of indicator species” through its farming groups. Indicator species are animals or plants which provide information on the overall condition of an ecosystem and of other species in that ecosystem.

Tesco also told PAN UK that it carries out assessments of the risks posed by specific pesticides to pollinators. If its risk assessment identifies that a pesticide has the potential to be particularly harmful then its use will be restricted or prohibited “where possible”, and growers will be provided with guidance on how to apply the chemical in a way which reduces the risk to pollinators.

Tesco also told PAN UK that “risk to pollinators” was one of the criteria it uses to decide whether, and how, to restrict the use of a particular pesticide in its supply chain. However, in Tesco’s draft pesticide lists (shared with PAN UK by Tesco but not yet made public) the three most bee-toxic neonicotinoids are restricted rather than prohibited. While this means that suppliers have to provide evidence and justification before they can use them, it does mean that neonicotinoids remain in use within the company’s supply chain. Unlike some other supermarkets, Tesco is not currently supporting research into the effect of pesticides on pollinators.

Engaging with customers on reducing pesticide use

Could do better

Tesco has made relatively little progress in involving its customers in reducing pesticide use in its supply chains:

  • Tesco continues to sell fruit and vegetables that aren’t perfect through its “Perfectly Imperfect” range, thereby reducing the need for cosmetic pesticides. The company also encourages customers to buy this ‘wonky’ produce through promotions, both in-store and via the media.
  • Tesco is only making limited efforts to promote fruit and vegetables that are in season, stating that “due to [their] world-wide sourcing calendar [they] are able to ensure year-round availability”. However, food grown far away tends to require higher amounts of fungicides which prevent fresh produce from rotting while it is being transported. Despite relying primarily on its global supply chains, Tesco did tell PAN UK that it also promotes UK produce which is likely to be sold in season and therefore need less fungicides.
  • Tesco told PAN UK that it still doesn’t encourage its customers to accept finding the odd bug in fresh produce. This is a missed opportunity since customer complaints about insects can often hold a supermarket back from reducing its pesticide use. However, once shoppers understand that the bug in their lettuce (for example) is there because it has been grown with fewer chemicals, they tend to be supportive.
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Selling pesticide products

Could do better

Tesco has implemented a handful of positive changes to its pesticide range but continues to sell a wide selection of products including some that are own-brand. The company told PAN UK that it has made some improvements to its range including ending the sale of glyphosate-based weedkillers, ensuring that its bug and fungus control products are pesticide-free and stocking slug and snail killers that are approved for use in organic farming.

Despite these positive moves, Tesco continues to stock synthetic pesticide products containing potentially hazardous active ingredients such as 2,4-D and cypermethrin. The company also offers its customers discounts and deals on these products which encourages shoppers to buy more than they need and often results in excess pesticides being poured down the sink or put in landfill, potentially contaminating water and soil. It also contravenes the UN International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management which says that retailers should not offer “incentives or gifts to encourage the purchase of pesticides”. While Tesco does publish some guidance on its website on how to use pesticide products in a way which minimises harm, it doesn’t provide this information to customers in-store, beyond what is included on the label.

Being transparent about pesticides

Could do better

Tesco has committed to becoming more transparent regarding pesticides. The company has updated the page on its website which outlines its general approach to pesticides. It has also assured PAN UK that it will be publishing its full pesticide policy and lists of monitored, restricted and prohibited pesticides by the end of 2021. However, Tesco currently has no plans to publish the results of its residue testing programme. As a result, it remains impossible for Tesco customers to base shopping decisions on which products are most likely to contain pesticide residues.

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.

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