Healthy Eating & Climate Action in Ahold Delhaize’s Report

Ahold Delhaize is a multinational food retailer, aiming to be at the forefront of innovation in healthy foods, sustainability and supply chain transformation.

The company is made up of nearly 400,000 people and 17 brands, serving 77 million customers every week.

It has released its 2025 Annual Report, Creating Value Every Day, focusing on its impact on nature, communities and the climate.

Ahold Delhaize’s sustainability targets

In its annual report, Ahold Delhaize recognises that nature and climate are linked, with climate change acting as a key driver of nature loss.

Its sustainability strategy centres around its target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions in its own operations by 2040.

The company says its business relies on nature and its ability to sustain land and water systems used by the farming and food sectors.

It is working across the value chain with its partners to reduce emissions and build long-term resilience.

In 2025, Ahold Delhaize achieved a 39% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions and 41% of its top suppliers have set science-based sustainability targets.

It has 47% zero-emissions electricity used, working towards its 2035 target of 100% zero-emissions electricity.

Frans Muller, President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, says: “As we leave 2025 behind, we can be proud of the progress we achieved and the strong foundation we built during the first year of Growing Together.

“An important aspect of our Growing Together strategy is our healthy communities and planet priority. We believe we have the responsibility and the opportunity to drive change beyond our own operations.

“Our strategy has been pressure tested, our capabilities are evolving and our teams are operating in a strong rhythm, which is delivering compounding results.

“We are carrying this momentum into 2026 with confidence in our execution, our portfolio and our ability to continue creating value for customers, associates, communities and shareholders.”

In particular, Ahold Delhaize has focused on reducing emissions in its dairy supply chain.

It has collaborated with Danone North America and The Nature Conservancy on a pilot to lower Scope 3 emissions from the dairy used in some Danone yoghurt products.

The project will support participating dairy farms to adopt sustainable practices and technologies, helping to reduce methane generation and strengthen resource efficiency.

Building healthier communities

In Q1 of 2025, Ahold Delhaize’s brand Food Lion reached its goal to donate 1.5 billion meals to people facing food insecurity, months ahead of schedule.

It has set a new goal to reach three billion meals donated by 2032.

Aiming to improve the health and nutrition of its customers, Ahold Delhaize provides a wide range of healthier options in its brands’ stores.

It aims to make healthy eating easier by providing a range of affordable and nutritious products, support services, education and transparent labelling.

It is also working on reformulating products to improve nutrition and inspire healthier lifestyles by reducing levels of sugar, salt, colourants and additives.

Daniella Vega, Global Senior Vice President Health & Sustainability at Ahold Delhaize, writes on LinkedIn: “What strikes me most, reflecting on the health and sustainability thread throughout, is not a change in ambition but a shift in where the work sits.

“It’s more embedded in how the business actually runs: sourcing, commercial decisions, finance, tech and customer experience.

“Health, climate, nature and circularity don’t move separately. They converge in the same decisions, with real trade-offs, especially on affordability and scale.”

All sustainability, net zero and sustainable supply chain leaders should attend:

• Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit - QEII Centre, London, March 4-5
• Sustainability LIVE: The US Summit - Navy Pier, Chicago, April 21-22

Co-located with Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE, these events brings together CSOs, ESG leaders and senior decision-makers at a moment when sustainability, supply chains and commercial performance are increasingly interconnected.

Tickets can be booked online today for The Net Zero Summit and The US Summit. Group discounts available.

Circular packaging

Ahold Delhaize aims to contribute to a stronger food system by using resources efficiently and reducing waste.

It plans to allow materials to circulate for as long as possible, minimising costs and lowering emissions in its value chain.

In 2025, it achieved a 10.9% reduction in virgin plastic use, beating its 2025 target of 5% virgin plastic.

It also aims to reduce total tonnes of food waste by 50% per €1m (US$1.18m) of food sales by 2030, against its 2016 baseline.

Ahold Delhaize’s brands are sourcing packaging that relies less on finite resources and that is designed for multiple use cycles.

It aims to incorporate more post-consumer recycled (PCR) content into its packaging, however strict regulations around food-grade recycled plastics have limited this.