Dutch spent more money on food in 2022 but opted for sustainable options less often

Consumers spent 15 percent more money on food last year compared to 2021 according to the Sustainable Food Monitor 2022 published on Wednesday by Wageningen Economic Research, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality. A smaller portion was directed towards sustainable food.

The total food spending amounted to a total of 58.5 billion euros in 2022. The increase in food expenditure was primarily driven by inflation and a rise in dining out post the Covid-19 pandemic, the researchers noted.

In 2022, consumers spent 10.8 billion euros on sustainable food, marking a 13 percent increase from 2021. Although there was an increase in sustainable food spending, the proportion of spending on sustainable food fell slightly, decreasing to 18 percent, a 1 percent dip compared to 2021.

Analyzing by product groups, the sharpest decline in the purchase of sustainable products was observed in eggs (from 66 percent to 60 percent) and fish (from 57 percent to 53 percent). On the other hand, beverages saw the most substantial increase in overall spending, with a rise of 27 percent.

2022 witnessed a significant shift in consumer spending from retail to food service, adversely affecting sales of sustainable food in supermarkets and specialty stores, the researchers noted.

Spending on sustainable food in supermarkets was 10 percent higher than in 2021. Shops specializing in sustainable food saw a decline in sales of 4 percent. "This indicates that spending on sustainable food in supermarkets remained the same – relative to inflation – as in 2021, and that the total volumes of products sold in both retail channels actually declined," the researchers wrote.