After the expansion of the existing 'Better for Cow, Nature and Farmer' dairy line, Albert Heijn is also working on 'Better for...' lines for pig farmers and fruit growers. Much to the chagrin of existing environmental logos. The necessary money is involved in the label jungle, according to a publication in the FD.
The FD investigated what caused the annoyance. How many environmental labels are there already and what do they cost? And are the judges themselves as transparent as they demand of others?
foodlog and Boerenbusiness organize a webinar about quality marks on Thursday evening 11 February from 19.30 pm: How Boerproof is PlanetProof? Exclusively for members and subscribers. View the program here and register.
'Better for Cows, Nature and Farmers' was Albert Heijn's first own environmental logo, together with dairy concern Royal A-ware. It started in 2018. The quality mark 'continues where PlanetProof ends', writeef Foodlog already.
There is a lot of grumbling in the FD. "Better for Cows, Nature and Farmers does compete with the PlanetProof quality mark, in which we participate", realizes the spokesperson for dairy giant FrieslandCampina. "Better for Cows, Nature and Farmers is not independent", director Bert Ruitenbeek of the Demeter quality mark sneered in the newspaper. "AH puts its own quality mark on the market, because they want control."
Other recognized quality marks are also reluctant to respond. Niels Dorland of the Beter Leven Keurmerk foundation: "It does not help the consumer. You can no longer see the wood for the trees." Or Joyce van den Bos, of EKO quality mark: "The more labels, the more consumers are deterred."
The label jungle is almost impossible for consumers to oversee. That is why the Central Environment Foundation has been assessing the multitude of quality marks with money from the Ministry of Agriculture for a few years now. Only 10 (including the 4 mentioned above) of the 256 assessed quality marks can call themselves - supported by the state - 'Top label'.
By the way, there are many more. Researcher Sytske de Waart found 900 'fake quality marks' without any effort. These are quality marks that are misleading, unclear, not independent or wrong, or that kick in the open door. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) announced last week that it would start with enforcement† If you make a lying sustainability claim, you only need to start worrying now.
No transparency about revenue model
Labels are big business. Sales of food with a sustainability label grew last year with 26%† Half of the Dutch agricultural area is now 'On the Way to PlanetProof'. The Beter Leven Keurmerk stands for 90% of all pork sold in the Netherlands and 80% of the eggs. 40% of the fish has an ASC or MSC label, 35% of the coffee and tea bears a sustainability label.
A lot of money is involved in quality marks. Slaughterhouses, processors and retailers pay an annual subscription fee to display the Beter Leven logo. In total, the quality marks generate a nice cent in turnover. Both Beter Leven and ASC (farmed fish) are stuck at €1,9 million. Demeter has to make do with less than half a million. Major sales are made at MSC (£29,5 million) and Rainforest (€26,2 million). PlanetProof, which accounts for about half of SMK's €2,2 million turnover, is approaching the much older Beter Leven. Skal (the old organic in the Netherlands) has a turnover of €6,8 million. Skal (the old organic in the Netherlands) has a turnover of €6,8 million.
Are the labels clear about their finances? Transparency about their revenue model is not their goal. With the exception of Fairtrade (of the Max Havelaar coffee, turnover €3,9 million) and the Netherlands-based (internationally operating) Rainforest Alliance foundation (merged with UTZ in 2018), the quality marks do not file an annual report with the Chamber of Commerce.
It is also very easy to search on our own sites. Better Life Quality Mark. publishes the results on the Animal Protection website. Rainforest Alliance as a whole publishes all annual reports on the umbrella website† "The quality mark market is very complicated and a lot of money is involved," Dorland says in the FD in answer to the question why this is the case.
SMK (PlanetProof), Skal, Demeter, EKO, ASC and MSC will send the FD annual accounts upon request. Transparency is hard to find on their respective sites. That is not exactly what you expect from a top quality label. Strangely enough, the Milieu Centraal quality mark inspector does not appear to be interested. "For us, it is about annual transparency in the field of sustainability," says Milieu Centraal. "Finances are irrelevant to us."
It is relevant whether a quality mark or logo meets the set criteria. And so the new logo of Albert Heijn of Milieu Centraal, just like the Knorr Sustainability Partnership of Unilever, can also call itself a 'topper'. No quality mark, but a Top company logo. "Because they meet the same criteria as top quality labels." According to AH, they will continue.
This article is part of the content collaboration between Boerenbusiness en foodlog.
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