Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) is a co-operative with 210 independently owned and operated retail co-operative members across Western Canada. FCL serves these member retails, their 1.6 million members and many more customers. Together, FCL and its retail members form the Co-operative Retailing System (CRS). FCL’s business operations include wholesaling across all primary consumer goods lines (food, home and building supplies, crop supplies, livestock feed and petroleum), manufacturing, administrative support and marketing support. FCL owns two subsidiaries: The Grocery People, which delivers fresh groceries to retail stores, restaurants and food establishments, and the Co-op Refinery Complex, which manufactures and supplies petroleum products.
This is FCL's third report on its sustainability and social responsibility efforts, highlighting its five pillars: Fiscal Responsibility, Environmental Sustainability, Community Investment, Employee Engagement and Co-operative Leadership. Data contained in the 2014 report reference FCL fiscal period from Nov. 1, 2013 to Oct. 31, 2014, with editorial features referencing events up to June 2015.
To gain a better understanding of the sustainability issues that matter most to employees, members and stakeholders, FCL conducted its first extensive materiality assessment in 2015. The results of the materiality assessment are being used to inform sustainability reporting, develop strategy and ensure FCL focuses its efforts on what the organization and its stakeholders value. Focusing on what’s important from a sustainability perspective will ensure FCL is financially strong to provide great returns to members, improving the communities in which the organization operates and minimizing its environmental footprint. Health and safety, regulatory compliance, product quality and air emissions were the top issues in their respective categories of people and society, fiscal responsibility, product responsibility and environment.
The economic impact of the Co-operative Retailing System (CRS) in Western Canada is defined by the jobs it creates, amount it reinvests in communities and equity it returns to its members. FCL has over 3,300 employees with over 24,500 employed across the CRS. Since 2010, FCL and retail co-operatives have reinvested almost $5 billion in communities through capital investments. FCL has returned $2.4 billion to its members in the past five years, with retail co-ops returning almost $1.2 billion to their individual members since 2010. In 2014, FCL achieved a record $10.8 billion in sales.
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