Supermarkets could be forced to pay more for sustainable fruit and vegetables

Product certification organization Stichting Keurmerk was given the green light to force supermarkets and their suppliers to pay more money for sustainable vegetables and fruit with the On the Way to PlanetProof (OPP) certification mark. The Dutch Authority on Consumers and Markets (ACM) decided this based on a guideline set up in January for farmers to legally set up joint sustainability initiatives. OPP is the first certification mark to get approval in this way.

The ACM does not think the extra cost will affect market competition or lead to significant price increases in the supermarket. First, the extra costs are not that high, and growers can lower their sales prices themselves.

The regulator also said supermarkets do not have to completely pass on price increases to consumers, because they compete fiercely for the cheapest products within the sustainable fruit and vegetable segment. They are also free to buy products without the OPP quality mark.

Stichting Keurmerk wanted to speed up the implementation of the quality mark pricing, because the number of farmers interested was beginning to falter. The ACM also likes that the initiative contributes to a more sustainable society.

The ACM's approval is not definitive yet. The regulator can still hand out fines if, for example, complaints come in and research proves that there is a breach of competition rules.