Auchan France to run urban farms near hypermarkets | Progresiv
Auchan France wants to use its slogan "Good, healthy, local" for the launch of a new business segment: urban farms. The retailer is the owner - through a daughter company specialized in real estate - of hundreds of hectares of arable land, located near some of its supermarkets. The company wants to use about 50 such locations for agricultural production. The project is to start by 2020. 
Many of the chain's hypermarkets are located in suburban areas, and in their vicinity, the company has large plots that are suitable for cultivation. 100-hectare farms are to be built in 50 of those locations, and fruit and vegetables will be grown in them. They will be sold under a specially created own brand. The owners of local farms and local residents are to be employed for the crops' cultivation, reports IGD.
Other large chains are taking similar steps. Carrefour announced in May 2017 that it would start testing projects related to "urban agriculture". In turn, the Belgian Delhaize has started growing crops on the roof of one of its supermarkets in Brussels. This project started in October last year.
Retailers are looking for ways to shorten the supply chain of fresh food, and want to obtain it in a more sustainable way. An additional benefit is the reduction of CO2 emissions and the transport costs. (www.freshplaza.com)
