Petition 'no VAT on organic'

Organic food is unfairly taxed

2 November 2017 - Clarisse van der Woude - 9 comments

Organic food is unfairly taxed. That is the opinion of the Biowinkelvereniging, the association of organic shopkeepers. The national petition 'no VAT on organic' will start on Friday 3 November. 

With a petition, the Biowinkelvereniging, in which the organic specialty stores of Ekoplaza, Natuurwinkel, Odin and Gimsel work together, wants to denounce to the House of Representatives that organic food is being taxed unjustly. "Because as long as the costs of environmental destruction, such as the massive death of insects, are not passed on to the polluter, but on the taxpayer, the price of organically produced food is too high," they say.

The initiators call it the task of the government to protect and preserve drinking water sources, climate, biodiversity, soil and health for current and future generations. "Environmentally friendly organic farming is a broad and effective measure and should therefore be exempt from VAT."

Organic food is not too expensive, but conventional food is too cheap

In 100 days to 0%
The aim of the initiators is to go to 100% VAT on organic food in the first 0 days of the cabinet. On November 10, 11 and 12, consumers will be able to shop VAT-free at their organic specialty store. The 6% VAT on foodstuffs will then not be charged. 

Real price of organic food
Volkert Engelsman, named most influential sustainable Dutchman of 2017 by Trouw last month, signed the petition for the first time. He charted the costs of food from his trading company Eosta. According to the research report 'True Cost of Food', which he conducted together with the FAO, the price of organic food is lower than conventional food (if you include the social costs for the environment and living environment). "Organic food is not too expensive, but conventional food is too cheap," concludes Engelsman.

From Friday, the petition will be open at the cash register of the organic specialty stores and on the campaign website† The goal is to collect at least 40.000 signatures. The petition with signatures will be presented to the members of the House of Representatives in early 2018.

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Comments
9 comments
common 2 November 2017
This is a response to this article:
[url=http://www.boerenbusiness.nl/aardappelmarkt/ artikel/10876425/biologische-voeding-onterecht-belast][/url]
This story puts the neatly controlled conventional agriculture in the bad light again as if we destroy the environment and make the insects disappear by unthinkingly what people want to hear. The polluters are all taxpayers with their cars, New Year's Eve fireworks, drug use and their shit in the toilet. I don't sign because then the bicycle and many other things are VAT free.
Subscriber
kees 3 November 2017
I have nothing against organic, they respond very cleverly to the market. But don't come to me with the idea that organic is more sustainable than conventional, because that has never been demonstrated, in fact the chairman of WUR himself says that organic must have a sticker, not sustainably grown.
Einstein 3 November 2017
So the early slaughter of crops with large gas burners is environmentally friendly and good for the insects that live there, what a cool story.
curly tail 3 November 2017
I don't think you're a real Einstein?
john 3 November 2017
organic food will solve the world food problem, right?
Subscriber
Ronnie 3 November 2017
Bio, starting to take on cult-like shapes.
Apparently people want to believe in something.
I also think that science, in particular Wageningen, should indicate better what exactly is sustainable, because everyone is getting too lost.
young farmer 3 November 2017
The next example of self-aggrandizement is that pvdd has submitted a motion to support only young organic farmers.
Einstein 3 November 2017
You are curly tail old bio hugger.
pvdd blablabla 3 November 2017
young farmer wrote:
The next example of self-aggrandizement is that pvdd has submitted a motion to support only young organic farmers.


if pvdd does not cluck like a headless chicken, but REALLY wants to do something for the environment, it must immediately propose that a tax be imposed on all medicines whose effect on the environment has not been studied.
At least that will help, if we as consumers just continue with unexamined medicines, all surface water will be free of any life in x years' time
Subscriber
freebooter 3 November 2017
Don't forget the planes; everyone wants to go on holiday at least twice, and airplanes are REALLY the biggest polluters. There are 2 permanently in the air!
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