Parties increase supply and demand of more sustainable food

The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and parties within the animal food chain are joining forces to increase the market share of animal products - meat, eggs and dairy - with more sustainable performance than is legally possible.  With the 'Market Programme for More Sustainable Animal Products' (market programme VDP), market initiatives of chains are supported with knowledge, research and information. Attention is paid to all sales channels: retail, food service, catering and specialist shops. The international sales channel is also involved. The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality supports the programme with 4 million euros and aims to better connect existing schemes for innovation, research and education to developments in sales markets. The Alliance for Sustainable Food facilitates the cooperation. 

The VDP programme team brings together supply and demand for more sustainable animal products and maintains an overview of opportunities and bottlenecks for companies, governments, NGOs, education and research. The goal is to increase the demand for more sustainable meat, fish, dairy and eggs, with an earnings model for all parties within the food chain: from the agricultural and animal feed sector, to processors, caterers, supermarkets and specialist shops. In the retail channel, the share of meat and meat products sold with a quality mark is already almost 40% and has been growing for years, and the market programme will broaden and accelerate this development.

Concrete and active cooperation through the market programme

The market programme helps companies in the food chain to eliminate bottlenecks in the field of sustainability and chain cooperation. The combination of parties within the programme ensures that there is broad knowledge of both the bottlenecks in the sales channels and the production of more sustainable products. When a caterer, processor, a group of farmers or a supermarket comes up against obstacles, for instance in the field of investments, harmonisation of legislation and regulations or cooperation, the VDP market programme offers help. The VDP market programme provides concrete and active cooperation between chains, governments, social organisations, education and research and knowledge institutes. 

Broad knowledge about sustainability needed

In addition, the parties are committed to increasing information and education about sustainability in all sectors. To achieve sustainability, you need knowledge of sustainability in other sectors, but also knowledge of the various sub-themes of sustainability. The VDP market programme, for example, focuses not only on animal welfare, but on integral sustainability, with attention to climate, nature and the environment. They share knowledge by organising so-called 'Chain Knowledge Dialogues' for companies and by compiling an annual report on bottlenecks and opportunities in the various sales channels. 

Participating parties

In addition to the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), the following parties are currently participating: the Dutch Food Retail Association (CBL), the Dutch Food Industry Federation (FNLI), the Dutch Feed Industry Association (Nevedi), the Dutch Catering Association (Veneca), the Dutch Organisation for Agriculture and Horticulture (LTO), the Dutch Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Dutch Butchers' Association (KNS), the Dutch Meat Industry Federation (COV) and the Dutch Poultry Industry Association (Nepluvi).