Tony's Chocolonely most sustainable brand in the Netherlands

Tony's Chocolonely has been voted the most sustainable brand in the Netherlands for the fourth time this year. This is evident from the Dutch research behind Sustainable Brand Index, which was published on 25 March.

It was a close call this year. De Vegetarische Slager came very close to taking over the number 1 position this year. De Vegetarische Slager secured the second place in the Sustainable Brand Index of 2021. The difference was only visible behind the comma. The category 'meat substitutes' was included for the first time this year within the food industry (Food). 

The top 5 most sustainable brands in Food 2021:

1. Tony's Chocolonely
2. De Vegetarische Slager
3. Zonnatura
4. Campina
5. Alpro

Five years of data behind Sustainable Brand Index provide a good picture of the brands that realise that building a sustainable brand requires and will continue to require a great deal of patience. It is good to reflect on the sustainability journey of brands that have taken steps over the past five years that have been noticed and appreciated by consumers. Brands that have shown great progress compared to 2017 include Nespresso, Nescafé (beverages) and Bolletje (food). These brands have been able to make consumers more aware of their responsibilities. HAK, new to the list this year, also performs well in the ranking and is appreciated by consumers in its clear communication about its local products.  

What do Dutch people value so much in Tony's Chocolonely? 

"Consumers appreciate Tony's Chocolonely mainly for its ambitious social goals within the chocolate chain," says Annemarije Tillema Country Director of the Sustainable Brand Index in the Netherlands. Tony's Chocolonely has a very clear social mission, which is to change the cocoa industry, which is characterised by inequality and problems of modern slavery and illegal child labour. Responsible working conditions in the chain are an important issue for the Dutch and Tony's Chocolonely has taken ownership of these challenges in the chocolate chain. 

De Vegetarische Slager is the big surprise

De Vegetarische Slager came within an inch of taking over the number 1 position of Tony's. The brand entered the Sustainable Brand Index new this year and immediately reached the second place.  

"As Vegetarian Butchers, we have a deep passion for tackling issues from a sustainable and distinctive perspective. We are happy to see that this message is appreciated and we are thrilled to be in this fine line of brands that give the world a boost," says Hugo Verkuil, CEO of De Vegetarische Slager.

The research behind Sustainable Brand Index 

The aim of Sustainable Brand Index is to highlight the value of sustainability to consumers and to raise awareness about it. 

The study behind Sustainable Brand Index is Europe's largest brand survey on sustainability. The study includes 61,960 consumer interviews. A total of 1373 brands in Europe were assessed based on the UN's global Sustainable Development Goals. In the Dutch study, 199 brands in 17 different sectors were examined, for which over 9,000 respondents were interviewed in the period January and February 2021. 

www.sb-index.nl
www.tonyschocolonely.com