Supermarket chain Ahold Delhaize has announced it will now offer what it calls a 100% carbon neutral banana in Belgium.

To do so, the Netherlands-based company worked alongside Port International. Together, they conducted research on the impact of bananas. Their findings informed Delhaize on how to counteract harmful CO2 emissions.

The retailer said that due to reduction and compensation measures along the supply chain, from planting to delivery, the carbon generated by the bananas is offset.

This program - named the Lion's footprint initiative - targets plastic waste, food waste and carbon emissions.

In the context of larger efforts to its decrease environmental footprint, this is a step specifically targeting emissions. According to the partnership's research, a single banana uses 0.9 kilograms of CO2. In a full year, this adds up to 7.1m kilos of carbon.

The retailer says that is now considering adding strawberries to its carbon neutral program in the near future.

How to achieve carbon neutral bananas

Through more ecologically friendly packaging and work in specific programs, the retailer's bananas cancel out these emissions.

For instance, the company began initiatives like a clean drinking water program in Cambodia and a reforestation project in Peru. Such projects will lower carbon emissions, making carbon neutral bananas.