Retail: ECO-SCORE® by Beelong comes to Coop

It's a big step towards transparency on the environmental impact of food: ECO-SCORE® by Beelong is available from Friday 11 November for more than 2,000 products from Coop's own brands on coop.ch/eco-score and will soon be displayed on the shelves of the largest Swiss retailer. Consumers can now find their way around in the blink of an eye thanks to the A+ to E- scale visible on a first selection of articles.

Thousands of Coop's own-brand food products have already been screened by the experts at Beelong Ltd. As of today, the Coop.ch already lists the ECO-SCORE® by Beelong and detailed information sheets for more than 2000 "eco-scored" products. For the first products, ECO-SCORE® by Beelong will soon also be displayed on the packaging.

"Eco-scored"? A term that we will quickly get used to when shopping! This rating, on a scale of A+ (low impact) to E- (high impact), symbolizes where the foodstuffs stand in terms of their impact on the environment. Coop has been promoting sustainable consumption for many years and plays a pioneering role. Today, Switzerland's largest retailer is the first to rely on analysis and dissemination of the results to its customers. "This is a big step forward for transparency in the Swiss food market and for the food transition," says Charlotte de La Baume, co-founder of Beelong. And Mathias Faigaux, also co-founder, formulates the next step: "Thanks to our large database of eco-scored products, we aim to help our clients develop upstream more sustainable product ranges".

Numerous criteria analyzed

At a glance, the consumer can compare and choose his or her food according to its effects on the environment. Thanks to a reliable and constantly evolving analysis method, ECO-SCORE® by Beelong takes into account many criteria depending on the list of ingredients and their quantity: CO2₂These criteria include the quality of the product, water, soil, biodiversity, endangered species, animal welfare, etc. Other criteria are then applied to the finished product, such as the impact of the packaging and the sustainability policy of the processing company.

This new visibility with the general public marks a turning point and a boost for the Swiss company, founded eight years ago in Lausanne. Beelong is already well established with professionals in the Swiss restaurant and food industry; the company works for some 60 partner brands (Hero, Narimpex, Ditzleretc.) it also advises private companies, municipalities, cantons and the Swiss Confederation on the development of sustainable food strategies. It also advises private companies, municipalities, cantons and the Confederation on the development of sustainable food strategies.

With a staff of about 15 and still growing, Beelong is already a pioneer and leader in Switzerland. This position will be further strengthened thanks to this pleasing collaboration with Coop, which is set to last for some time.

Beelong in figures

8 years of existence

15 employees

150’000 food products analyzed ECO-SCORE® by Beelong

60 partner brands

300 community restaurants

+100 million meals served influenced since the beginning

Four questions to Charlotte de La Baume and Mathias Faigaux, co-founders of Beelong

What is ECO-SCORE® by Beelong for?

Approximately one third of environmental damage is caused by our food. This is particularly visible in terms of climate change and biodiversity loss. ECO-SCORE® by Beelong provides consumers with simple, clear and objective information on the environmental impact of food products in order to quickly change purchasing practices and reverse the trend. It accompanies consumers, restaurant owners and the food industry towards the most sustainable food possible to contribute to the ecological transition of our food and agriculture.

Is this a new label?

No, ECO-SCORE® by Beelong is not a label. Labels certify specific products according to their own specifications. ECO-SCORE® by Beelong is an environmental indicator for evaluating all food products. It does not certify products, but evaluates their impact based on the most current scientific data and information available on the market.

Why is additional information needed? With so many labels, what can the general public trust?

Currently, a lot of information is available on food products, but not in a uniform way. With different labels for each product, it is difficult to compare them to each other. ECO-SCORE® by Beelong allows all food products to be compared on the same basis, while enhancing the value of existing labels. It takes into account all the main issues related to the environmental impact of food: climate change, water pollution, land use, biodiversity and endangered species, and animal welfare. Finally, it is an educational tool for the general public: the detailed results online allow for a better understanding of where the impacts of each product really lie. To consume in a more responsible way, many choices are possible: consume less animal proteins, favor agricultural practices that are more respectful of the environment and animals, favor local and seasonal products, reduce packaging, etc. At the same time, ECO-SCORE® by Beelong promotes transparency in the food market and encourages retailers to reduce their environmental impact and design more sustainable assortments.

Partner brands voluntarily display ECO-SCORE® by Beelong. Do they benefit from its calculation?

Non, la méthodologie ECO-SCORE® by Beelong est la même pour tous les produits. En participant activement avec Beelong, les marques partenaires permettent une meilleure transparence sur leurs produits et ainsi une évaluation plus précise de leur impact environnemental.

What does this partnership mean for Beelong?

As the leading food retailer in Switzerland, Coop offers Beelong, the leader in environmental labelling in Switzerland, greater visibility and strengthens the credibility of ECO-SCORE® by Beelong.

Just like our various customers (see partner brands and conditions here) Coop enjoys the same services, the same conditions and provides us with a high level of detail on its products in order to obtain the most accurate scores possible.

The ECO-SCORE® by Beelong methodology is the same for everyone.