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About the Swedish Food Retailers Federation

The Swedish Food Retailers Federation is an organization for grocery retailers in Sweden. The federation’s member companies account for 97 percent of the food retail market, and include Axfood AB, Bergendahls Food AB, Coop Sverige AB, ICA Sverige AB, Lidl Sverige KB, and Livsmedelshandlarna.

The grocery retail sector is an important link in the food chain and the Swedish Food Retailers Federation works toward the sector taking an active, joint responsibility for competitively neutral issues. We believe in a market-based economy with equal rights for all stakeholders, in an open and fair market, and in sustainable products and processes.

The Swedish Food Retailers Federation protects and promotes the common interests of its affiliated companies in policy issues affecting the industry. We represent the member companies in contacts with authorities, government, NGOs, the EU, and other international organizations.

Main tasks:

Responding to matters referred for consultation
Together with our member councils, we prepare and coordinate a unified response and proposals to documents circulated by government ministries and other authorities for comment.

Development of guidelines and agreements
Together with the affiliated companies, the Swedish Food Retailers Federation produces guidelines and agreements for various areas of the retail sector based on the retailers’ interpretation of current legislation. Food safety guidelines are among the most important of these areas. There are many different retail agreements, e.g. agreements on the use of antibiotics in food production, on information regarding plastic carrier bags, and on efforts for sustainable palm oil products.

Opinion-building and public affairs
The food retail sector is an important part of the food chain and an important actor with respect to employment, of young people and immigrants in particular. We understand and respect the great responsibility that comes with this position in society, and work to ensure that legislation and regulations are realistic and adapted to the needs and conditions of retailers. Our mission is to maintain a profitable retail business at the same time as taking responsibility for issues important to society as a whole.

Partnerships
The Swedish Food Retailers Federation serves as a partner in companies operating in logistics and recycling including, for example, GS1, FTI, Svensk Retursystem and Returpack. A list of companies in which we are partners can be found here.