Responsible assortment
Procurement that takes into account defined environmental and social standards
We systematically integrate environmental and social criteria into our procurement processes – from the selection of our suppliers to the design of our supply chains. This includes, among other things, adhering to recognized standards and continuously reviewing our procurement practices.
Our focus is on protecting the climate and natural resources, adhering to social standards, and promoting responsibly manufactured products. In this way, we contribute to sustainable development while simultaneously strengthening the future viability of our business.
Products & assortments
For reporting purposes, the proportion of private-label products is disclosed only to a limited extent in the guidelines.
Number of food products* with organic certification**
| |
FY 2022/231 | FY 2023/241 | FY 2024/251 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Products | Private labels | Brands | Private labels | Brands | Private labels | Brands |
| METRO Germany | 131 | 4,074 | 137 | 3,060 | 116 | 1,520 |
| METRO units | 7012 | 8,7693 | 6014 |
5,663 5 |
5386 | 4,0487 |
1 As of September 30
2 In 14 of 18 reporting units
3 In 18 of 18 reporting units
4 In 13 of 18 reporting units
5 In 15 of 18 reporting units
6 In 15 of 18 reporting units
7 In 16 of 18 reporting units
* Products include all private-label and branded food products and include double counts for products from the same source
** Organic according to EU regulations (EU 834/2007, EU 889/2008, and EU 271/2010) and/or national organic labels (particularly from non-EU countries) and/or as listed in the official GS1 guideline for packaging labels.
Number of certified palm oil products
| FY 2022/231 | FY 2023/241 |
FY 2024/251 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of products | Own brand | Share of certified own brand | Branded* | Own brand | Share of certified own brand | Branded* | Own brand | Share of certified own brand | Branded* |
| METRO Germany | 32 | 100% | 184 | 28 | 100% | 101 | 24 | 100% | 57 |
| METRO Entities | 5262 | 35% | 3,0853 | 5044 |
35% | 17035 | 5394 | 43% | 19015 |
1 As of September 30
2 In 25 of 27 reporting entities
3 In 13 of 19 reporting entities
4 In 23 of 26 reporting units (not applicable in 3 of 26 reporting units)
5 In 13 of 18 reporting units
6 In 21 of 26 reporting units (not applicable in 5 of 26 reporting units)
7 In 15 of 18 reporting units
* The figure includes double counts for jointly procured products
Explanation: Refers to private-label and branded products. Palm oil products certified according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification levels Identity Preserved, Segregated, Mass Balance, or Book & Claim
Expired Target: 100% RSPO Identity Preserved or Segregated certified products by 2023.
In light of the new EU Deforestation Regulation, METRO is currently revising its procurement policy for sustainable palm oil and has therefore not extended its target.
Percentage of certified palm oil product volumes
by quality level (results for the calendar year Jan–Dec 2025)
| RSPO certification level | Percentage of palm oil used |
|---|---|
| Identity Preserved | 0% |
| Segregated | 72% |
| Mass Balance | 15% |
| Credits | 0% |
| % of the palm oil used in our METRO private-label products is RSPO-certified | 87% |
Explanation: Refers to certified palm oil private-label products from all METRO companies in accordance with the certification levels of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Number of soy products
Number of Level 1 soy products (private label)
| FY 2024/251 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private-label products | Number | Share | |
| METRO Germany | n.a. | n/a | |
| METRO units | 142 | 83% | |
1 As of September 30,
2 In 8 of 26 reporting companies (not applicable in 18 of 26 reporting companies)
Explanation:Tier 1 soy products (private label) with RTRS or Proterra certification, or another certification recognized by FEFAC (ADM Responsible Soy Standard, Agricultura Certificate de Aapresid; Certified Sustainable Agriculture (ASC), Amaggi Responsible Standard, Belgian Feed Association (BFA), Bunge Pro S, Cargill Triple S, Certified Responsible Soya (CRS), Coamo Responsible Soy, Donau Soja, Europe Soya, FEMAS, ISCC Plus, Sustainable Feed Standard (SFS), Sustainable Farming Assurance (SFA), US Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (US SSAP)
Number of Level 2 soy products (private labels)
| FY 2024/251 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private-label products | Number | Share | |
| METRO Germany | 67 | 78% | |
| METRO units | 5152 | 44% | |
1 As of September 30,
2 In 15 of 26 reporting units (not applicable in 11 of 26 reporting units)
Explanation: With regard to our private-label brands, 44% of our product portfolio accounts for 28% of the DSF-certified volume. Level 2 soy products (private labels) with RTRS, Proterra, or another certification recognized by FEFAC (ADM Responsible Soy Standard, Agricultura Certificate de Aapresid; Certified Sustainable Agriculture (ASC), Amaggi Responsible Standard, Belgian Feed Association (BFA), Bunge Pro S, Cargill Triple S, Certified Responsible Soya (CRS), Coamo Responsible Soy, Donau Soja, Europe Soya, FEMAS, ISCC Plus, Sustainable Feed Standard (SFS), Sustainable Farming Assurance (SFA), US Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (US SSAP)
Number of products from certified fisheries and aquaculture
| FY 2022/231 | FY 2023/241 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of products | Own brand | Share of certified own brand | No name* | Share of no name | Branded** | Own brand | Share of certified own brand | No name* | Share of no name | Branded** |
| METRO Germany | 51 | 85% | 217 | 67% | 525 | 42 | 93% | 85 | 29% | 554 |
| METRO Entities | 7782 | 72% | 9573 | 29% | 1,418 | 8394 | 71% | 1,1005 | 27% | 1,3716 |
| FY 2024/251 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of products | Own brand | Share of certified own brand | No name* | Share of no name | Branded** |
| METRO Germany | 45 | 66% | 289 | 22% | 459 |
| METRO Entities | 8357 | 70% | 9408 | 26% | 1,3179 |
1 As of September 30
2 In 22 of 27 reporting entities (not applicable in 5 of 27 reporting entities)
3 In 18 of 19 reporting entities
4 In 23 of 27 reporting entities (not applicable in 4 of 27 reporting entities)
5 In 22 of 25 reporting entities (not applicable in 3 of 25 reporting entities)
6 In 15 of 18 reporting entities
7 In 18 of 26 reporting entities (not applicable in 8 of 26 reporting entities)
8 In 22 of 25 reporting units (not applicable in 3 of 25 reporting units)
9 In 16 of 18 reporting units
* Products that do not bear a METRO brand but do bear a METRO address. This also includes all internally manufactured products and all products sold over the counter that are labeled with the METRO address.
In fiscal year 2020/21, we reported on all private-label products within the scope of the policy that hold one of the accepted certifications listed in the explanation below. Since fiscal year 2021/22, we have tightened our reporting approach and now only consider certificates for which the chain of custody is also guaranteed at the level of the METRO legal entities. Since the Chain of Custody certification process for the METRO legal entities has not yet been completed, the number of certified products to which this new approach applies—and which are reported on in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021/22 – is comparatively lower than before the change in approach.
** This figure includes double counts for products from joint procurement and products that hold two or more of the certifications listed below.
Explanation: With regard to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, private-label products comply with the following certifications: MSC, ASC, FOS, BAP, Global GAP, ASMI, GULF, IRFM, Organic, FIP, AIP, RFM, CQA, MEL Japan, or any other certification evaluated by GSSI.
Number of cage free shell egg products
| FY 2022/231 | FY 2023/241 | FY 2024/251 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of products | Own brand | Share of own brand | Own brand | Share of own brand | Own brand | Share of own brand |
| METRO Germany | 16 | 100% | 11 | 100% | 12 |
100% |
| METRO Entities | 151 | 60% | 1372 | 55% | 1563 | 62% |
1 As of September 30
2 In 19 of 27 reporting entities (not applicable in 8 of 27 reporting entities)
3 In 16 of 26 reporting units (not applicable in 10 of 26 reporting units)
Explanation: With regard to cage-free shell eggs sold under the company’s own brand, there has been an improvement in the housing conditions for laying hens through the promotion of alternative housing systems, i.e., barn systems and free-range systems (organic farming – “enriched” or “combination” cage systems are not permitted).
Last year, we successfully transitioned to the exclusive use of 100% cage-free shell eggs for our own-brand product range in several countries (Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, France, and Turkey).
Number of fair trade products
| FY 2022/231 | FY 2023/241 | FY 2024/251 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of products | Private labels* | Brands* | Private labels* | Brands* | Private labels* | Brands* |
| METRO Germany | 15 | 1,107 | 11 | 470 | 6 | 344 |
| METRO units | 89 | 2,010 | 892 | 1,0233 | 684 | 9945 |
1 As of September 30
2 In 10 of 19 reporting entities
3 In 13 of 19 reporting units
4 In 8 of 18 reporting units
5 In 13 of 18 reporting units
* This figure includes double counts for products from shared sources and products.
Explanation: Refers to private-label and branded products that carry one of the following certifications: Fairtrade, GEPA, or Rainforest Alliance, and counts products that carry more than one of the above certifications twice.
Number of products from certified forestry
| FY 2022/231 | FY 2023/241 | FY 2024/251 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of products | Private labels | Share of private labels | Private labels | Share of private labels | Private labels | Share of private labels |
| METRO Germany | 5 | 100% | 3 | 100% | 53 | 100% |
| METRO units | 2,076 | 65% | 2,1562 | 66% | 2,2573 | 76% |
1 As of September 30
2 In 23 of 26 reporting entities (not applicable in 3 of 26 reporting entities)
3 In 20 of 26 reporting units (not applicable in 6 of 26 reporting units)
Explanation: Refers to private-label and branded products. “From sustainable forestry” means certified according to FSC® or PEFC or made from recycled material. Brand-specific data is not available because the reporting system currently cannot distinguish between product certificates and packaging certificates for sustainable forestry.
Target: 100% of private-label products containing more than 50% wood by weight to come from certified forestry by the end of 2023. Additionally, 100% of the manufacturing facilities producing these products are to be socially responsible by the end of 2030.
Number of single-use products
| FY 2022/231 | FY 2023/241 | FY 2024/251 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of products | Private labels | Share of private labels | Private labels | Share of private labels | Private labels | Share of private labels |
| METRO Germany | n/a* | n/a* | n.a* | n/a* | n/a* | n/a* |
| METRO units | 935 | 59% | 8962 | 58% | 7473 | 62% |
1 As of September 30
2 In 21 of 26 reporting entities (in 5 out of 26 reporting entities, this is not applicable)
3 In 16 of 26 reporting entities (not applicable in 10 of 26 reporting entities)
* No locally sourced private-label products are affected by the policy
Explanation: Refers to private-label products for which METRO is striving to reduce the proportion of single-use products and/or switch to reusable models where possible. Where reusable options are not feasible, we offer single-use solutions made from alternative materials that are recyclable or compostable.
Goal: By 2025, METRO will enable its customers to transition to a future free of conventional single-use plastics and increase resource efficiency:
- Providing reusable, recyclable, and compostable alternatives
- Supporting our customers during this transition phase and
- advocating for the transition to a circular economy with regard to plastic.
Fisheries and aquaculture
Fisheries and aquaculture are central components of the global food supply. At the same time, many fish stocks and marine ecosystems are under increasing pressure.
Sustainable sourcing is therefore a key lever for reducing environmental impact and ensuring stable supply chains in the long term.
As one of Europe’s leading fish wholesalers, METRO takes responsibility throughout the entire value chain – from the selection of suppliers to transparency for our customers.
Our approach
We are working to continuously improve the sustainability of our fish and seafood assortment – both wild-caught and farmed.
A central component of our approach is the promotion of recognized certifications. These include, among others:
- Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
- Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)
- GlobalG.A.P.
- Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)
These standards help raise awareness of responsible fishing and aquaculture and enable transparent decision-making.
METRO is a member of the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST). The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability was established as a forum for the seafood industry. It is dedicated to developing the first global standard for seafood traceability, which was introduced in March 2020. METRO is one of the initiators and has supported the collaborative approach to seafood traceability from the very beginning. The GDST involves the active participation of various stakeholders in the seafood industry across the entire supply chain.
With its most recent update to its procurement policy (2025), METRO has further refined its commitment: We aim to strengthen the sustainability of our product range, improve conditions in the supply chain, and further increase transparency – in line with our customers’ expectations.
Animal health and welfare
METRO recognizes the importance of animal health and welfare in its own supply chains, as well as transparency regarding animal-based products.
Health and nutrition
We want to help our customers make more informed and balanced choices – for their own businesses and for their customers. To that end, we’re continuously expanding our product assortment to include fresh, regional, and organic products, as well as items that contain less sugar, salt, or additives, for example. In addition, we provide transparent information on ingredients and nutritional values and use digital solutions to make this information easily accessible.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
The significance of genetically modified organisms has grown in recent years, both in our product assortment and in public discourse. At the same time, attitudes toward this issue vary around the world.
METRO takes this diversity of perspectives into account and aligns itself with the respective regulatory requirements as well as customer expectations in each market. Our position defines clear goals and guidelines for handling GMOs in our product assortment.
Alternative proteins
The growing demand for protein and changing consumer habits call for new solutions. METRO therefore supports a balanced use of various protein sources.
These include both animal products from more responsible production methods and alternative proteins such as plant-based options or innovative solutions. The goal is to offer our customers a diverse range of products and help them differentiate themselves in the market.
Together with our partners and based on scientific findings, we are continuously developing our product range – from production to consumption.
