Consumers want more own food production

Many Dutch people, especially those who live in rural areas, find it important to be less dependent on other countries for food. They also want the Netherlands to produce more food.

This is evident from the Agrifood Monitor 2022, a poll by Wageningen University & Research, which was presented today (Friday 7 October) at the opening of the Dutch Food Week in 's-Hertogenbosch. The respondents do not expect this to be easy to achieve. They also indicate that they are prepared, if necessary, to adjust their diet for greater food security. 

In general, the Dutch are still positive about the agri-food sector. They value the sector more than, for example, the clothing or pharmaceutical industry or energy companies. However, social appreciation for most agri & food sectors is no longer increasing (which has been the case since 2018) and appreciation for supermarkets has declined. The involvement and how much a sector means to someone is the most important factor that is translated into social appreciation. The reputation of the sector is also an important factor, although it seems to be becoming less important in consumer judgment. This is followed by trust in food safety and trust in cooperation. 

Consumers are most positive about horticulture and arable farming and least positive about pig farming and poultry farming. As a sector, fishing was included in the survey for the first time. The appreciation for this is somewhere in the middle, just like dairy farming, supermarkets and the food industry. This was also the case in recent years.

Sustainability and animal proteins
Consumers find taste, freshness, safety, reliability, affordability and health important when it comes to food. Sustainability values ​​(environment, climate and animal friendliness) score in the middle. The Dutch estimate the effort made by arable farming, horticulture, supermarkets and the food industry for sustainability to be lower than during the previous measurement moment in 2020. The consumer image remains positive for all sectors.

The Dutch eat bread, vegetables, fruit and dairy most often and eat meat (beef, pork or chicken) more often than fish. Animal proteins predominate. Consumers say they want to replace dairy, meat and eggs with plant-based alternatives, but often do not. The Agrifood Monitor shows that the reason for this is that consumers lack the knowledge and skills to put plant-based alternatives on the menu. According to the researchers, they also experience little social pressure to eat plant-based alternatives.

Few effects of farmers' protests
The poll also asked about the impact of current events. The war in Ukraine has had no effect on the image of the Dutch agri-food sector. Farmer protests have a small impact on social appreciation (both negatively and positively). 

Linda van Eekeres

Linda van Eekeres is co-writing editor-in-chief. She mainly focuses on macro-economic developments and the influence of politics on the agricultural sector.

l.vaneekeres@boerenbusiness. Nl

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