Feedback: 'Supermarkets continue to offer meat too cheaply'

Dutch supermarkets are doing too little to drastically reduce their climate impact. In their communication they emphasise reducing CO2 emissions in their own shops and their transport, but 95% of emissions come from the production chain. One third of these are caused by the production of meat and dairy. Albert Heijn and Jumbo are starting to be transparent about their meat sales, but not a single supermarket has a plan to reduce its meat and dairy sales. This is the conclusion of campaign organisation Feedback in a new report.

The report is based on a poll of a representative sample of 994 voting Dutch people. 18% of young people under 35 say they do not buy meat. While Dutch people over 35 mainly think that the decision to eat less meat lies with the consumer himself, 41% see a bigger role for supermarkets to reduce meat consumption. For example, by offering fewer meat products and more promotion of meat substitutes.

Frank Mechielsen, Campaign Manager at Feedback: "The Dutch supermarkets continue to offer too much cheap meat, which is responsible for more than half of the greenhouse gas emissions related to food worldwide. In the Netherlands, livestock farming is the driving force behind the nitrogen crisis. Supermarkets must take more responsibility for the climate impact throughout their chain by halving meat and dairy sales by 2030, and offering more healthy and plant-based food. If they do not do so, they will not be able to meet their climate ambitions. "

The report analysed data and commitments from the five major retailers and concludes that Albert Heijn is the only retailer to be transparent about greenhouse gas emissions throughout their supply chain, including the portion caused by animal proteins, and has committed to a 15% reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. 

New commitments

Supermarkets came up with new commitments. Albert Heijn is committed to achieving a 50/50 balance of animal and plant proteins by 2025 and revealed for the first time its current protein sales ratio of 70% animal and 30% plant. Furthermore, Lidl announced that 25% of their total sales are related to fresh meat and dairy products. Jumbo set a new target to increase their vegetable alternatives from the current 4% to 10% by 2025. No major supermarket has yet set specific targets for reducing its meat and dairy sales.

Read the report 'Less meat and dairy in our daily shopping'.
feedbackglobal.org

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