Farmers call for extraordinary organic boost

Although with all the benefits it would seem logical that consumers would buy organic en masse, this is not yet the case. This is mainly due to the price, which is sometimes up to three times higher in supermarkets compared to non-organic products. Currently, consumers pay more for organic products because of the higher cost price throughout the chain.

Organic growers, in collaboration with Bioplant and Biohuis, have drawn up a plan to achieve an extraordinary organic boost. The aim of this plan is to make sustainable and healthy cultivation the standard.

Supermarkets

Supermarkets can equalise the margin on organic products to non-organic products. This sharply reduces consumer prices for organic potatoes, vegetables and cereals. Supermarkets can thus show that they really stand by their own sustainable goals and make a big difference for people, the environment and the climate.

Government

If the government decides to bring the VAT rate on organic potatoes, vegetables and cereals to 0%, it will save another 9% on the consumer price. The government spent hardly any money on developing organic farming in recent years. If the government does invest in organic farming, the initiators expect as a result: a change in buying behaviour that will allow the government to meet its goals of expanding the area of organic agriculture.

What this yields

Together, these measures will enable a sharp drop in consumer prices. Turnover speeds will increase; in the process, economies of scale translate into lower chain costs. This will make producing organically sufficiently rewarding and attractive to converters. This ultimately allows prices to come down. This creates a fully sustainable and profitable model. The spurious argument of expensive and elitist is gone, healthy cultivation becomes the standard. A win-win situation for supermarkets, government and society as a whole.

"We have to do it together, this extraordinary organic boost. Only then, just like with green energy, will we get a flywheel going that really improves our nature, climate and health," says the Extraordinary Organic Boost team.

Biohuis.org