Lidl has announced a five-year partnership across 31 countries with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The partnership will see the organisations working to address ecological challenges across Lidl’s value chain and ensure that more households have access to sustainable choices.

The discounter said the partnership underlines its commitment to its sustainability strategy and it hopes the move will encourage business models that work “in harmony” with nature.

The partnership will focus on several areas including the conservation of biodiversity, responsible management of water resources, reduction of food waste and responsible sourcing of critical raw materials such as soy, coco and coffee.

Last year, Lidl GB was the first discount supermarket to sign WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature, which is an agreement to work with WWF to halve the environmental impact of UK shopping baskets by 2030.

Lidl added that it has worked with WWF in individual markets such as Austria and Switzerland to improve sustainability, but the new partnership will expand this work on an international scale.

“In our role as one of the largest food retailers, we are aware of our responsibility and our influence,” said Christoph Pohl, chief purchasing officer at Lidl International. “We take responsibility with the aim of doing business within planetary boundaries.

“For Lidl, sustainable management is not only a question of attitude, but also the basis for the future viability of our business model. With the support and expertise of WWF, we will now take our commitment to sustainability to the next level."

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