News Red cabbage
HAK pays sustainable farmer better price
HAK will pay a higher price to farmers who invest in sustainable cultivation. According to the canning supplier, the very first pot of red cabbage that has been certified 'On the way to PlanetProof' and will be on the shelf at the beginning of November. More vegetables will follow in the coming years.
Red cabbage growers Wim and Johannes Straver, from agricultural cooperative CIGTA, receive a 10% higher price from HAK. "Because, farmers who invest in sustainability must be financially compensated," says HAK. The intention is that links in the trade chain (including supermarkets, purchasing groups and wholesalers) will eventually contribute to this. HAK takes this topic into account in the ongoing conversations it has with them.
According to the manufacturer, the chain increasingly sees that investments in sustainability are necessary and that they should not come from one side. "It cannot be the case that only farmers have to pay for the costs of a better and more resilient environment that we as a society have in mind," says Adri den Dekker, director of purchasing, agriculture & sustainability at HAK.
consumer price
In that respect, there is also a challenge for consumers, Den Dekker agrees. "If we want to spread the additional costs over every link in the supply chain, consumers will also have to bear a part. A large group of consumers is already prepared to do this, but there is a task for the entire chain to explain that for more sustainable products have to be paid a little more." Ultimately, it is retail that determines the price for consumers, emphasizes Den Dekker.
Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) will receive the first pot of 'On the way to PlanetProof' red cabbage from HAK this week. In the coming years, the canning supplier will further expand the range with the sustainability label. For example, sauerkraut, red beets, Brussels sprouts and various leafy vegetables will follow next year, and summer vegetables will follow in 2021.
No short-term policy
According to HAK, the message that it will pay more growers who produce sustainably is not related to the farmers' protests. "Our aim for sustainable and local cultivation, and the trajectory towards On the way to PlanetProof started a long time ago. The agreements about the plus of 10% were already made with our growers in February of this year. That is not a short-term policy. we only harvest during the season and the red cabbage harvest has now started."
HAK does, however, find it important (especially now that current events include the efforts of farmers) as the largest vegetable brand in the Netherlands to share its vision on this. "We are sympathetic to the situation of the farmers. We hope that the discussions will be conducted constructively. A more sustainable agriculture is also needed in the future, so that we continue to eat good, high-quality food from nearby, without exhausting the earth. Farmers must, however, be compensated for the extra costs they incur."
Jeanette Pennings
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