The purchase of food with a sustainability label increases in Netherlands and the supermarket is the preferred place to fill the basket. Large stores have been expanding the offer and, in 2023, Dutch consumers spent 12.6 billion euros on meat, vegetables, dairy products and bread with sustainable label. It is 14% more than the previous year, while the total food outlay increased by 11%. The data appear in a study carried out by the Central Statistical Office (CBS) and Wageningen University, specialized, among others, in animal and environmental sciences.
The same research—commissioned every year by the Ministry of Agriculture—breaks down consumer spending. Thus, some 4.3 billion euros were allocated to the purchase of meat labeled beter leven (better life) which refers to the conditions of animal husbandry and has been introduced by the Humane Society. Another 3.1 billion were spent on the seal of rainforest alliance (forest alliance), and 2,000 million in food sealed as organic (biologisch). “Despite the rise in food prices, these sales continue to increase”explains the report. And they do it at the expense of specialized stores in the sector and in favor of large stores.
Both Albert Heijn (AH), the largest supermarket chain in the country (1,005 stores), and the second, Jumbo (680), and the third Aldi (484)try to consolidate themselves in the sustainable food market and dedicate ample space on their websites to this type of proposal. For its part, Milieu Centraal, a consultancy that supports the quality labels that mark these foods, not only advises on the advantages of sustainable eating. On its digital page there is also a list of these brands to guide you in Dutch stores.
Last year, the area of land with organic farming certification covered 80,900 hectares, 4.5% of the total agricultural land, according to CBS data. The Dutch Government wants to reach 15% by 2030, but there is land that is lost due to the closure of companies or the expiration of certificates. Where the change towards sustainability has been most noticeable is in meat and dairy products, but there is a transparency problem that has not yet been resolved. According to Milieu Centraal, inscriptions certifying sustainability must be clear to avoid confusion or even fraud. That the buyer can be sure that the brands represent reality, both in the cultivation and raising of farm animals.
Cat for a hare
The label does not always reflect what it proclaims. From 2023, Dutch supermarkets will only sell chicken meat under the brand beter leven. One of the requirements to obtain this seal is that the birds have access to a covered pen for part of the day and can move freely. However, this September, an investigation carried out by Omroep Gelderland, a regional public broadcaster (in the central-eastern part of the country), revealed that only just over a hundred of the 482 chicken farms in the country had such a site. . Despite this, they have not lost the label beter leven. The consultant Milieu Centraal herself validates this brand, but the reality is that poultry breeders can obtain it without modifying their buildings. And this is because once the permit has been requested, they have a period of two years – extended until 2027 – to build. This is due, in large part, to the obstacles imposed by government regulations to control nitrogen emissions: they can delay or cancel the procedure.
In view of the situation, the Consumer Association has indicated that maintaining the seal “is the wrong way to go.” The Humane Society disagrees. As they explain, despite the lack of the new pen, these chickens have more space, see the light of day and are given more time to grow than the others. Wageningen University plans to study the environmental effects of breeding these birds under a sustainable label.
Here you can consult the latest Letters from the correspondent
