Food prices soar: growing criticism of government policy

An increasing number of Dutch citizens believe that politics is falling short in keeping food affordable. A survey conducted by Motivaction on behalf of Foodwatch shows that 77% of respondents feel the government is doing too little or could be doing more. Only 6% are satisfied with the current efforts.

According to Foodwatch, political measures continue to lag behind, while supermarket chains like Albert Heijn and food manufacturers such as Unilever and Nestlé report significant profits. “Food poverty is not a natural phenomenon, but the result of political choices,” says Nicole van Gemert, director of Foodwatch.

Market power pushes food prices even higher

The political proposals on the table seem to have little real impact. For example, GroenLinks-PvdA suggests easing the rules for selling products with foreign labels, but this does not address the root cause of expensive groceries. According to Foodwatch, market power and purchasing restrictions allow food producers like Lay’s to undermine price competition. By packaging products differently in each country and imposing restrictions, they make it harder for retailers to purchase goods in cheaper EU markets. As a result, the internal market operates inefficiently, driving up prices for Dutch consumers.

Foodwatch outlines seven demands to the government

To make food affordable again, Foodwatch has launched a petition with seven concrete demands:

• Mandatory transparency on profit margins for food prices
• 0% VAT on fruits and vegetables
• End trade barriers that make food more expensive
• Ban marketing of unhealthy food
• Introduce a price ceiling on essential groceries
• Strengthen legislation and impose tougher penalties on violators
• Stop treating hunger as a business model and curb food speculation

“Healthy and affordable food should be the norm – not a luxury,” Van Gemert emphasizes.

Foodwatch.org