Action needed to make fresh produce production sustainable

Government and the business community are working towards making the production of potatoes, vegetables and fruit (AGF) more sustainable. Progress is being made here, but things are not going quickly enough to achieve a large number of (interim) targets set by the business community itself, government or jointly (for example through agreements). This is what emerges from the Monitor for the Development of Sustainable Food Chains for the AGF product group sold in Dutch supermarkets. The Monitor is carried out annually by Wageningen University & Research under commission from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

The sustainability targets have not been achieved in the following areas:

• The provision of information to growers’ employees on pesticides continues to be scanty.
• Pesticide usage is too high.
• Excess nitrogen and phosphates on arable farms declined up to 2011, but since then the decline has more or less stagnated.
• CO2 emissions in greenhouse horticulture were 6.1 megatonnes in 2020. This is well above the target of 4.6 megatonnes.
• The population of pollinators, such as bees, bumblebees and butterflies is still declining.

Sustainability is stagnating in a number of areas:

• The country of origin of fresh fruit and vegetables is indicated where this is compulsory.
• The rights under labour law are usually well organised for employees in the Netherlands.
• Soil quality in arable farming is in decline.

Evident progress has been booked in a limited number of areas with respect to making AGF products more sustainable:

• The number of products showing quality labels is increasing.
• Use of mains water is still limited in the AGF sector.
• There is less wastage of fresh AGF products.

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