Through our materiality process, we translate global trends into business strategy and ultimately action. When developing our current CR strategy, in 2008, our materiality process identified the following issues.

The priority issues, identified in the top right of the matrix are deemed by our stakeholders and us as the most material to our business. We have grouped some of the issues together, into categories like responsible sourcing, to make delivering action more effective.

Our materiality process

Our process is based on three phases:

1. Understand stakeholders' concerns through requests and dialogues, peer reporting, and media reviews. Stakeholders include our associates, customers, NGOs, consumer groups, governments, suppliers, local communities, and our competitors.

2. Evaluate the importance to business in terms of risks and opportunities through internal experts and leadership interviews, with a review of existing local projects and priorities.

3. Identify high priority issues and where issues are best managed through the recommendations of internal experts.

Going forward

We are currently developing a new CR strategy based on stakeholder feedback, a refreshed materiality matrix, and a review of our past performance. This will be made public in 2011.

What do our stakeholders think about it?

Delhaize Group has a strategic approach to CR. Moving forward, I would expect more focus by extricating some truly transformational sustainability goals to show greater connectivity between the strategic components.

Dr. Aileen Ionescu-Somers, Director, Centre for Corporate Sustainability Management, IMD Business School (Switzerland)