Analysis Quality Labels
CBL's choice for 'Beter voor' (Better for) has caused quite a stir
The choice of Dutch supermarkets and foodservice companies for Albert Heijn's Beter voor Natuur & Boer program as the basis for a new top brand has caused quite a stir in quality mark land. The Milieukeur Foundation, owner of the 'On the way to PlanetProof' quality mark, is particularly concerned.
Since Albert Heijn announced at the beginning of March that it wanted to open up the Beter voor Natuur & Boer program to other companies, SMK has issued two press releases and countless other signals with a kind of 'don't forget us' signal.
Apparently SMK is afraid that its semi-government hallmark will lose out in the retail violence. Whether that will be the case is the question. CBL director Marc Jansen indicates that the retail would in any case like 'On the way to PlanetProof' to continue to exist, if only to keep enough competition. Rather two competing strong quality marks than one all-consuming new concept.
But even such a situation must feel disappointing for SMK. With the choice of 'Better for' as the basis for a new top quality mark, it is clear that a system other than that of SMK is preferred by the retail sector. One of the reasons for this, according to Jansen, is that the benefits for the farmer are better and more explicitly guaranteed in the 'Better for' approach.
The fact is that the CBL is not simply adopting Albert Heijn's 'Better for' approach. The approach is taken as the basis for a new top quality mark. The latter will therefore be further geared up to meet the requirements set by the Milieu Centraal organization for such a top quality mark.
Independent foundation
As a result, that hallmark will lose some of the simple and robust charm it now has. It will become a bit more official and formal than it is now, although the supermarkets do not want it to be said that way.
From an organizational point of view, the top quality mark will be in the hands of an independent foundation, with representatives from the retail, farmers, processing and also NGOs, and they all have something to say. Seen in this way, the shadow of SMK hovers above the top quality mark, because there is more 'edge' around the system. Hopefully, the participating farmers will have the certainty that the end result to be achieved will remain more predictable than with 'On the way to PlanetProof'.
Klaas van der Horst
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