SPAR Austria has launched an initiative to promote the consumption of products that are sustainably sourced and support sustainable agriculture. For this initiative, the company is collaborating with famous Austrian chef Paul Ivić, known for his Michelin-star vegetarian restaurants. Together with SPAR, he will promote fairly produced, organic culinary delights. He will support the retailer by providing tips, and recipes, and with the development of own brand products.

Paul Ivić advises SPAR Austria and its customers

SPAR Austria’s sustainability measures include a focus on climate-friendly sourcing and food preparation.

“It is a great pleasure for SPAR that Paul Ivić is becoming a fellow campaigner for sustainable delights, as he is committed to the same socio-political and environmental concerns as we are”, says SPAR Austria Board Director Markus Kaser.

Paul Ivić is the Managing Director of the TIAN restaurants in Vienna and Munich. TIAN is the only vegetarian-vegan restaurant in Austria that has been awarded one star and four toques by Gault-Millau. TIAN restaurants use seasonal products from regional organic farms. He will appear on SPAR Austria’s social media channels with tips for sustainable cooking. In the SPAR Mahlzeit! customer magazine, he will provide culinary insights, recipes, and creative ideas.

Six pillars for sustainable delights

The motives for eco-friendly nutrition are reflected in the six pillars of SPAR Austria’s initiative for sustainability:

Pillar 1: Use in full and don’t waste

Although only 1% of the food offered instore goes unsold, the retailer is looking to bring this down further. Tools include cooperating with the app platform TooGoodToGo, plus using data and AI for efficient goods ordering and supply chain management to reduce food waste.

Pillar 2: Healthy grounds for healthy food

SPAR Austria is committed to healthy soils and food by opposing genetic engineering as well as the use of glyphosate, a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. SPAR also supports innovative, future-oriented projects to preserve biodiversity and soil health. In 2021, the company launched its ‘Saving Diversity Together’ project and the SPAR Bee Council, providing support and advice on measures to preserve biodiversity and species diversity.

Pillar 3: Small manufacturers, fair production

SPAR has long-term partnerships with local farms. A total of over 2,000 Austrian suppliers, including Frutura, Stekovics, and Stauds, underline this commitment.

Pillar 4: Close to home: Seasonal and regional

SPAR Austria supports the sourcing of local food through its regional programmes and regional cultivation to increase the growing period, thereby avoiding long delivery routes.

Pillar 5: Organic and biodynamic food

SPAR is an organic pioneer and the number 1 food retailer for organic food in Austria, thanks in part to its own brand range SPAR Natur*pur. SPAR is the first food retailer in Austria to cooperate with the Demeter Association and to put the biodynamic products of this particularly sustainable and mindful form of agriculture in the spotlight.

Pillar 6: Vegan and vegetarian nutrition

Vegetarians, vegans, and flexitarians have been a growing target group for years. Every third person in Austria has a varied pattern of dietary behaviour including reduced consumption of meat. With 2,700 products, SPAR has the largest range of plant-based food products in the country and continues to expand this range.

Source: SPAR Austria

Read more about SPAR Austria

About SPAR Austria

The origins of SPAR in Austria date back to 1954, but the current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG – a 100% privately owned Austrian company.

With licences granted by SPAR International, ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) has developed the brand in Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Northern Italy. With sales of €8.3 billion and impressive growth of 16%, SPAR Austria became the market leader in the Austrian grocery trade in 2020, after being a market growth leader for over a decade. It maintained this leadership position in 2021.