Our Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard found that despite important momentum in the sector, major grocery retailers have a long way to go to protect pollinators, people and the planet from toxic pesticides.

To reverse devastating declines in biodiversity that threaten our food supply — including loss of pollinators  and soil life — grocery retailers must support the expansion of organic farming in the U.S. and beyond. At the same time, they must support the non-organic farmers they source from to eliminate toxic pesticides by shifting to ecological farming methods, which reduce the need for pesticides in the first place. 

Companies must immediately commit to ending the use of nitroguanidine neonicotinoids in their supply chains. These pesticides — already banned in the EU — can be a thousand times more toxic to bees than the infamous DDT and are the key chemical drivers of an “insect apocalypse” that threatens agriculture and our ecosystems. 

Retailers must also step up to support public policies that would rapidly shift our food system away from toxic pesticides and toward healthy, just and sustainable practices.

We found that:

Momentum on pesticides and pollinator protection continues to grow 

Sprouts Farmers Market became the second company to score in the “A” range, joining Whole Foods. Sprouts revealed a new commitment to pollinator health this December. The policy aims at reducing use of toxic pesticides in the company’s supply chain and building on its industry-leading organic sales. Costco advanced notably, rising from a “C” to a “B+” due to strong organic sales and reported progress toward implementing its pollinator health policy. Amazon improved from an “F” to a “D-“ based on Amazon Fresh sales of organic and other meaningful third-party certifications. Thirteen of the 25 companies ranked on the Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard now have policies aimed at reducing the use of harmful pesticides in their conventional supply chains and/or expanding organic agriculture. 

Laggards fall behind despite rising concern about pesticides 

While progress from top performers signals a shifting landscape, many retailers remain far behind. Six companies — Albertsons, Aldi, CVS, Kroger, Southeastern Grocers, and Target — lost points for failing to communicate meaningful progress toward meeting their pollinator health commitments. Target fell from a “D-” to an “F,” joining Wegmans, BJ’s Wholesale Club, H-E-B, Walgreens, Hy-Vee, Dollar General, Publix, and Wakefern.  

Leading policies expand least-toxic pest management strategies in conventional supply chains 

Major grocery retailers have a critical opportunity to help conventional growers transition to least-toxic pest management practices — an investment that strengthens supply-chain resilience and reduces long-term risk. Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Meijer, and Giant Eagle are requiring all fresh produce suppliers to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) practices verified by third-party certification. Meijer is also partnering with academic researchers to deliver training and technical support, giving suppliers practical tools to implement least-toxic strategies. Broader industry adoption is essential to drive meaningful, system-wide improvement. 

Organic sales are a key differentiator 

The USDA Organic seal remains the most trusted benchmark for reduced pesticide use, prohibiting more than 900 synthetic pesticides — including many linked to risks for pollinators, soil health, and human well-being. Yet most retailers do not disclose organic sales performance, making it challenging to evaluate competitive positioning. Several leading retailers provide transparency through public reporting. Sprouts states that certified organic items account for 30% of its grocery sales; Trader Joe’s reports that over 20% of its grocery products sold are organic; and Whole Foods Market reports that 33% of its grocery assortment is organic. Additional companies have shared organic sales data directly with Friends of the Earth. Costco, Walmart, and Whole Foods reported organic sales across all grocery categories; Meijer reported data for produce; and CVS reported organic performance for its own-brand food and beverages. 

Organic sales should be a core pillar of sustainability strategy and reporting 

Extensive research demonstrates that organic agriculture delivers measurable regenerative benefits — supporting pollinator health, improving soil quality, enhancing biodiversity, reducing climate impacts, and promoting human well-being. Despite this clear value, most retailers have yet to integrate organic performance into their sustainability frameworks. Currently, Sprouts is the only major retailer that includes organic sales as a key performance indicator in its annual impact reporting. 

Leading companies are investing in the expansion of organic agriculture in the U.S.  

U.S. farmers are being left behind as demand for organic products continues to outpace domestic supply. Yet only four major retailers — Costco, Sprouts, Wegmans, and Whole Foods — report taking concrete steps to support the growth of U.S. organic production. Whole Foods demonstrates the most comprehensive approach, including setting price floors for farmers transitioning to organic, offering loans that support organic and family-scale producers, and investing in supplier education on organic practices and transition pathways. Both Whole Foods and Sprouts also advocate for federal policies that bolster the U.S. organic sector. Costco reports collaborating with U.S. farmers and ranchers to transition acreage to organic production, while Wegmans operates a research-driven organic farm designed to share best practices with regional growers. 

Grocery retailers lack visibility into which pesticides are used in their supply chains 

Even leading companies do not have visibility into which pesticides are used in their supply chains or where the highest risks lie — a critical need to meaningfully measure and manage progress. A handful of companies have begun taking initial steps toward understanding pesticide use in their supply chains. Walmart encourages fresh produce suppliers to annually report use of nitroguanidine neonicotinoids and chlorpyrifos. Aldi requires suppliers of key commodities to disclose whether they use chlorpyrifos and neonicotinoids. CVS conducted a pilot pesticide analysis in key own brand commodity chains. Ahold Delhaize reports a pilot-level effort to track suppliers’ practices related to pollinator health and pesticide use. These types of initiatives must be scaled significantly and adopted industry-wide.  

Thirteen companies have pesticide commitments in their home and garden supply chains  

While agriculture drives the majority of pesticide use, many retailers are also taking meaningful steps to reduce chemical risks and protect pollinator and consumer health within their home and garden categories. Five companies — Ahold Delhaize, Costco, CVS, Dollar Tree, and Giant Eagle — have committed to ending sales of Roundup and other glyphosate-based products. Four companies — 

Costco, CVS, Dollar Tree, and Giant Eagle — have eliminated neonicotinoid-containing garden products, and Walmart is phasing them out. Sprouts, Walgreens, and Whole Foods report having never sold products containing glyphosate or neonics. 

Retailers are also strengthening standards for live plants and flowers. Meijer, Dollar Tree, Kroger, Giant Eagle, and BJ’s Wholesale Club have committed to eliminating the sourcing of plants or flowers treated with neonicotinoids. Aldi, Costco, Southeastern Grocers, and Target have issued supplier guidance encouraging a phaseout of these chemicals. Sprouts goes further by ensuring all flowers sold are Rainforest Alliance Certified, a standard that prohibits the use of neonicotinoids and other high-risk pesticides and requires Integrated Pest Management practices. 

Widespread inaction continues to expose the industry to mounting financial, biodiversity, climate, and consumer trust risks. A report commissioned by Friends of the Earth found that U.S. food retailers face $219 billion in financial risks related to pesticides. This includes $4.5 billion in climate damage costs and $34 billion in biodiversity risks associated with pesticide use in domestic production of just four key crops — apples, almonds, corn, and soy. By committing to transition their supply chains away from pesticide-intensive agriculture and toward organic and other science-based ecological farming systems, retailers can mitigate these risks while strengthening long-term business resilience. Such a shift not only protects pollinators and broader ecosystems, but also reduces human exposure to toxic chemicals, lowers climate impacts, and contributes directly to the development of critical biodiversity and climate solutions. 

*Although Amazon acquired Whole Foods in 2017, we graded these companies separately given that Whole Foods still maintains distinct policies. We graded Amazon in relation to its sales and policies for its Amazon Fresh stores.  We dropped Rite Aid from the scorecard this year due to the company’s bankruptcy. We added Sprouts, as the company’s sales continue to grow.