A newly published report shows that Dutch consumers are buying more products that are certified as sustainable than ever before, including a big jump in sales of UTZ labeled products.
This means that we can reach more and more farmers, enabling them to learn better farming methods, improve working conditions, and take better care of their children and the environment.
The annual ‘Monitor Duurzaam Voedsel’ (Monitoring of Sustainable Food) report, released by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, shows that consumers spent approximately €2.5 billion on sustainable products in 2013, a 10.8% increase on the year before. Sales of UTZ labeled products increased at an even higher rate, up 17.3% overall and up 43% for chocolate products.
The findings show how sustainable consumption is stepping out of the niche in the Netherlands, with the market share of sustainable coffee and tea now at 22.4%.
One of the major reasons for the increase cited in the report is the fact that there are far more sustainable products on offer in the supermarkets, which has a knock on effect on consumer behavior.
Han de Groot, Executive Director at UTZ Certified, commented:
“We are very happy to see this growth in the sale of sustainable products in the Netherlands. We want to create a world where sustainable farming is the norm, and this shows that the joint efforts of the whole supply chain are really paying off.”
The full ‘Monitor Duurzaam Voedsel’ can be found here (dutch).
Source: press release UTZ
