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Showing that it can be done this week is Checkers, whose new store in the Sitari Village Mall near Somerset West runs entirely off renewable energy – as, for that matter, does the mall itself. 35% of Sitari’s energy comes from a 635kWp rooftop solar PV installation provided by Checkers, with the rest sourced according to an agreement with Eskom’s Renewable Energy Tariff (RET) programme. Checkers has recently launched its inaugural environmental campaign which will see the business recycling tons of cardboard and plastic, using recycled content in packaging, reducing food and plastic waste, stocking products with sustainably sourced ingredients, and – as here – increasingly using renewable electricity. “The commitment to renewable energy is part of Checkers’ wider climate change strategy, which acknowledges that climate change will, directly and indirectly, impact our business and the communities we are a part of,” says Shoprite’s Group Sustainability Manager Sanjeev Raghubir, whose name, understandably, is much in the press these days.

Comment: One thing is certain, after taxes and death: Shoprite will always measure its initiatives against the bottom line. So when they adopt sustainable retail to this extent, you know that it makes business sense.

In further news of sustainable retail, Pick n Pay is launching two new vertical in-store farms this month at its Constantia and On Nichol locations, in partnership with CAN-Agri. Using Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) technology, the farms will use hydroponics for irrigation and nutrition, and metal reflectors and artificial lighting to augment natural sunlight. Vertical farming uses 95% less water, less fertiliser and zero pesticides when compared to growing the same quantity of plants on a piece of land. Incidentally, Walmart has recently pioneered the use of vertical farming directly in retail to sustainably boost its produce offering and to shorten the length of its supply chains. And unrelated, Pick n Pay has just announced the retirement of Debra Muller as company secretary, to be replaced by Penny Gerber who has worked with PnP’s numbers for 20 something years, most recently in developing and leading Pick n Pay’s investor relations programme.

Comment: At this point, in-store farming is probably not going to make a big dent. But it’s a great way of bringing consumers aboard with the sustainability agenda, and trialling methods which might one day be brought to more meaningful scale.

Over at Clicks, non-executive director David Nurek has been appointed to the Group’s audit and risk committee, following the retirement of stalwarts Fatima Daniels and John Bester from that august body. At SPAR, Kevin O’Brien has been appointed company secretary, a position he once held prior to his stint as Group Sustainability, Risk and Governance Executive. Also from SPAR: with Ramadan just over a week away, the SPAR Cape Town Ramadan and Lifestyle Expo kicks off tomorrow at the Green Point Track, for three days of displays and events highlighting the traditions of the holy month and demonstrating again that the principles of Ramadan are universal. Moving on, Shoprite has just opened its third Petshop Science store at the South Coast Mall in Shelley Beach. The brand offers specialised pet care and nutrition at supermarket prices. Sticking with Shoprite for the moment, the business has announced that payments of the R350 COVID-19 relief grant, extended now for another 12 months, will be available at any Shoprite, Checkers, Usave and selected OK Foods till point.

Comment: A smooth transition in governance on the boards of South Africa’s great retailers. And yet more innovation from Shoprite, busily occupying every niche it viably can.

In Taiwan (the first time in 16 years we’ve opened a story with those words), Carrefour is looking to sell its controlling 60% stake in the local business to its minority partner, Uni-President Enterprises Corp. Uni-President is one of the largest food conglomerates in Asia, with businesses from dairy and beverages to 7-Elevens, instant food, baking and logistics. In Belgium, Carrefour and Aldi have joined Lidl and Colruyt in rationing various goods to customers – including sunflower oil and flour – which may become scarce as a result of hostilities in Ukraine. Toilet paper, inevitably, is also on the list, despite the fact that neither Ukraine nor Russia are major exporters of the indispensable commodity. Staying with shortages, free-range eggs have taken a temporary leave of absence from the shelves of Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons as a result of the largest ever outbreak of bird flu in history – an event which in happier times might attract more press coverage. Finally, back home, the Western Cape High Court has halted construction of Amazon’s new Africa headquarters at the River Club until there has been meaningful engagement and consultation with affected indigenous peoples for whom the site is sacred.

Comment: Further evidence, if any were needed, that we live in a fragile and interconnected world where food security is not something we should take for granted.

Let’s have a peek under the Libstar bonnet, shall we. Ah, yes – everything seems to be in reasonable running order, if its results through December 2021 are to be believed, and why shouldn’t they: revenue up +7.1% to just north of R10bn, with operating profit up a more muted +1.2% to R743m. And HEPS – another means of gauging profitability – came through for punters at a pleasing +18.8% to the good. A slight decline in the gross profit margin resulted from reduced export margins, rising raw material and packaging costs, and local and international supply chain volatility. Seeing opportunities in health and pet foods, the business – which currently brings to market such brands as Denny Mushrooms and Lancewood – is looking to fast-track acquisitions in these sectors through an incubator vehicle called Libstar Nova, which starting the year with a bang acquired frozen baby food maker Umatie in January.

Comment: A solid business, not immune to the challenges faced by its peers, but which has a strong and innovative plan for growth. Nice one.

Kicking off with Unilever, the business has failed in its long-running battle with Colgate to convince the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) that its Lifebuoy soap offers protection against infections. Unrelated, PepsiCo, which since the acquisition of Pioneer has become a major force in our local industry, has launched, a five-year, R600m investment to help transform the food system in South Africa. The Kgodiso Development Fund will create ‘shared value’ solutions that help build a sustainable food system by creating local employment opportunities and increasing local procurement and supplier diversity. Finally, the Woolies Farming for the Future (FFF) program has announced that Woodlands Dairy based in Humansdorp and supplied by 69 farmers in the Tsitsikamma region, is its 2021 Top Supplier of the Year.

Comment: Supplier development – whether by Woolies or by PepsiCo, or countless other businesses in this great industry we call home – is quietly becoming a force for economic transformation.

More visibility on how the Russian invasion of Ukraine will play out here in the Beloved Country, economically speaking: “Since the conflict, there have already been sharp increases in the prices of crude oil, maize, wheat, and sunflower oil futures contracts,” says Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo. “This is likely to persist until a resolution to the conflict is found.” While South Africa’s direct trade links to Ukraine and Russia are not significant, with only 1% of our exports going to those countries, the broader disruption to global trade will have an impact on our exports and imports. And again, while capital flows into South Africa are likely to be impacted by uncertainty in the broader global environment, our direct links with both countries are also minor. World GDP is expected to lose around -0.2% of growth this year, and this might disproportionately impact us. In other economic news, by the time you read this, the dear old Reserve Bank may have upped the interest rate by 0.25 points, as rampant food and fuel inflation threatens the Bank’s targeted 3-6% band.

Comment: Uncertain times indeed. Buckle up.