Sustainability

Local food? A great idea (on paper)

Getting your groceries straight from a nearby farm, who wouldn’t want that? Less transport, fairer prices for farmers, shorter supply chains. Governments have been trying to promote it for years. Still, making local food..

Verpact focuses on circular packaging with new campaign

13 December 2024

The design of plastic packaging plays a crucial role in the recycling chain. Smart choices in materials, color, and design can make packaging suitable for recycling and reuse as raw materials. Through the campaign I...

Robotics in agriculture essential due to labor shortages

13 December 2024

The agriculture and horticulture sector is seeing volumes decline once again in 2024 compared to the previous year. However, the financial results of the sector remain positive, supported by stable prices and lower costs...

200th V-Label client: a milestone for the Vegetariërsbond

12 December 2024

The Vegetariërsbond has reached an important milestone with its 200th V-Label client. The certification mark, now featured on over 5,000 products in the Netherlands, provides consumers with clear information about vegeta...

Single-use plastics in Germany: fee obligation from 2025

12 December 2024

As of January 1, 2025, Germany will require producers of single-use plastic to pay a mandatory fee. This new system is an extension of the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive, which has imposed obligations on member states ...

Circular food production crucial for biodiversity

11 December 2024

Circular food production and a shift towards more plant-based proteins offer significant opportunities to combat biodiversity loss and climate change. This approach could reduce land use and greenhouse gas emissions in E...

CSDDD poses major challenges for the agro-food sector

11 December 2024

The new EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) requires companies to thoroughly examine their impact on people, the environment, and society. For the Dutch agro-food sector, this represents a signifi...

Sabor Verde launches sustainable avocado alternative

05 December 2024

The avocado is more popular than ever, but its cultivation is far from sustainable. Sabor Verde, an initiative by three Dutch entrepreneurs, aims to change that. As the first European brand, it offers avocados grown enti...

Biogas plant Aviko cuts CO₂ emissions by 70%

05 December 2024

Aviko, one of Europe’s largest potato processors, has commissioned an innovative biogas boiler at its production facility in Rain, Germany. This installation achieves a CO₂ reduction of an impressive 70% of the factory’s...

British consumers boycott Arla over methane reducer Bovaer

04 December 2024

DSM’s methane reducer Bovaer, developed to lower the carbon footprint of milk production, is facing heavy criticism. In both the United Kingdom and the United States, consumers are spreading rumors on social media about ...

Farmers want to go green, but support is lacking

02 December 2024

Dutch farmers and horticulturalists are fully committed to building a sustainable food system and a healthy living environment. Cleaner air, improved water quality, and nature conservation are high on their agenda. Howev...

True Cost Accounting: a key to a sustainable food system

02 December 2024

True Cost Accounting (TCA) offers an innovative approach to making the hidden costs of food production visible. This method analyses the impact on the environment, people, and animals and translates these into financial ...

7th Meat Café: Collaborating on food strategy is crucial

28 November 2024

Should the government allow the meat sector more room, or should the EU's climate policy line take precedence? Is agriculture a strategic geopolitical asset for the Netherlands and the EU? For which market does the Dutch...

Farmers increasingly opt for direct sales

27 November 2024

More and more farmers are turning to short supply chains, where they sell their products directly to consumers or with just one intermediary. The Monitor Korte Ketens 2023 by Wageningen Economic Research shows that the n...

Dutch biotech accelerates towards tangible results

26 November 2024

The Dutch biotech sector has received a significant boost with €17.6 million in funding from the National Growth Fund. This amount has been allocated to 54 promising projects through the Biotech Booster program, designed...

Online edition November 2024 | Cleaning and disinfection

25 November 2024

How can food companies ensure cleaning is both safe for people and food? Two cleaning experts speak candidly in the theme article about the struggles and dilemmas that arise when cleaning production lines in the...