PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway here said Monday it has become a founding member of the Sustainability Consortium, an international group that is seeking to drive innovation in CPG products and supply networks to address environmental, social and economic concerns. It is administered by Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas.

"We applaud the consortium’s work and believe its mission is a good fit with Safeway’s efforts to provide its customers with a larger selection of sustainable products and services," said Larree Renda, Safeway executive vice president, chief strategist and administrative officer. “The company is committed to becoming the premier retailer in the grocery sector with an unrivaled reputation for pursuing growth through leadership in environmental, socially responsible and ethical business practices.”

Safeway is interested in aggregating life-cycle assessment data, an analysis of emissions, waste and natural resources used from soil to kitchen for both food and nonfood products. This data will be leveraged in creating Safeway's companywide supply chain policy encouraging sustainable purchasing and manufacturing practices. Safeway joins supplier partners such as General Mills, Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo in the Sustainability Consortium.

“This important research will build an important bridge to creating the standards for metrics by which our industry measures itself against sustainability goals uncovering key opportunities to eliminate waste and preserve natural resources," said Linda Nordgren, Safeway group vice president of supply chain  and strategic sourcing. "Creating actionable data on the life-cycle impacts of food and agriculture will assist Safeway in creating its Environmentally Preferable Purchasing policy.”

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