Delhaize Group’s third Corporate Responsibility Report

Delhaize Group’s third Corporate Responsibility Report shows:

• Group’s reduced impact on climate change
• Steps taken to ensure good working conditions in its supply chain

Brussels, Belgium — Delhaize Group (Euronext Brussels: DELB – NYSE: DEG) the Belgian international food retailer today published its third Corporate Responsibility report. The report presents the Group’s performance against its CR strategy and goals, summarizing the 2009 achievements from the Group’s operating companies. In line with its strategy, the Group also announced its recent membership to the BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative).

“We take Corporate Responsibility seriously at Delhaize Group. Not just in the good times, but all the time,” said Pierre-Olivier Beckers, President and CEO of Delhaize Group. “Corporate Responsibility is central to our operations, and is one of the three key pillars of the new strategic plan for the Group — the ‘New Game Plan’ — that we launched in December 2009. We are proud that, even in a tough economic year, we were able to continue to deliver concrete actions. We are determined to pursue our efforts. We know that is the way to deliver the best of Delhaize, for our customers, our associates and our communities.”

The report gives an overview of the Group’s Corporate Responsibility strategy, highlighting the position of Corporate Responsibility alongside Growth and Efficiency, the two other strategic pillars of the Group.

The report presents the Group’s performance, made up of initiatives from all of its operating companies in the three key areas of products, people and planet and in line with the Group’s CR strategy. It highlights results, emphasizing the Group’s focus areas of promoting healthy eating, ensuring rigorous food safety, sourcing responsibly, ensuring the health and wellness of our associates, developing the talents of our associates, and reducing our impact on climate change.

Highlights from 2009 include:

• The reformulation of many private brand products to reduce salt, fat and sugar.
• The launch of programs to encourage employees to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
• The reduction in store energy consumption by 2.9% from 2008 to 2009.
• The reduction of the Group’s greenhouse gas footprint.
• The adoption by Delhaize Group of a supplier Code of Conduct at the end of 2009. The Code defines labour standards in accordance with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. The Code is aligned with the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), an organization focused on improving working conditions in supply chains world-wide. Delhaize Group became an official member of the BSCI in January 2010.

The report can be downloaded from our corporate Web site www.delhaizegroup.com. Questions can be sent to corporate-responsibility@delhaizegroup.com.

 

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