News Organic
More promotion and support for organic farming
Organic products should be promoted more on the shelves. Organic farming should also automatically be included in the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This is stated in two of the four motions that the House of Representatives adopted on Tuesday 25 May to promote organic farming and organic food consumption.
Bionext, the trade association of the organic sector, calls the broad political support a 'breakthrough for the sector'. One of the motions that has been passed is a 'supermarket covenant' that has been submitted by the CDA and D66. This calls for more attention for organic products in the supermarket through active information, more space on the shelf and a wider range.
"Supermarkets play a major role in consumer choice," says Joyce van den Bos, marketing and communication manager at Bionext. "In a pilot at supermarkets in Gelderland, it turned out that with adjustments in the store, the turnover of organic products increased significantly." It is now up to the Minister of LNV to enter into discussions with the supermarkets about the exact interpretation of the motion.
Advance on the new CAP
A majority of the House of Representatives wants organic farming to be included in the new Common Agricultural Policy from 2023. Organic farmers should then automatically be entitled to the basic premium, including all eco-schemes for their extra commitment to nature and the environment. As a result, organic companies are relieved of administrative burden and additional money is made available for collaborations and further development in sustainability.
The House hereby orders the government to give organic agriculture a prominent place in the National Strategic Plan (NSP), in which the Dutch interpretation of the new CAP is given shape. With this, the House is taking an advance on the NSP, which is currently being worked on and which will probably be presented at the end of this year.
Organic bulbs for public greenery
The motion for more organic bulbs and bedding plants has also been adopted. The House of Representatives has thus instructed the government to explore the possibilities for municipalities and provinces to increase the share of organic bulbs and bedding plants among these large buyers. And a motion has been passed for the use of green low-risk substances.
"It has been a long time since the organic sector received so much support," said Michaël Wilde, director of Bionext in a statement. "It means that farmers 'who are doing well' will finally be financially rewarded, that consumers will have more choice in the organic range and that the Netherlands, which is now well behind, can again keep up with the European growth figures. Choices that fit the European ambition to grow to 25% organic, supporting both supply and demand, so that the sector can grow in a balanced way."
Jurphaas Lugtenburg
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