In 2024, Dutch consumers once again spent more on sustainable food. Expenditure rose by around 4%, in line with the overall growth in food spending. The share of sustainable food remained stable at 21% of total expenditure. The strongest growth was seen in products with an organic or Fairtrade label. These findings come from the new Sustainable Food Monitor published by Wageningen Social & Economic Research.
The increase in expenditure is partly due to more products with sustainability labels being sold. In addition, food prices have risen by an average of 2-5% across sales channels, both for sustainable and for conventional food. In total, Dutch consumers spent almost €14.3 billion on sustainable food, out of a total food expenditure of €68.1 billion.
Which sustainable products?
Trends differ by product group. Sales of sustainable drinks rose the most (+14%). Spending on sustainable meat, fish, potatoes, vegetables and fruit, long-life products and eggs also increased, though more moderately. Sales of sustainable dairy, by contrast, fell by 6%. "The figures show, for example, that supermarkets in 2024 achieved their target of offering only poultry meat with at least one 'Beter Leven' (Better Life)-star. The share of sustainable poultry meat in supermarkets now exceeds 90%," explain researchers Katja Logatcheva and Nera Herceglic.
Labels
The Sustainable Food Monitor records annual consumer spending on products carrying an independently certified sustainability label. The three largest labels in terms of sales in 2024 are Beter Leven, Rainforest Alliance and Organic.
Organic products performed particularly well, with a sales increase of 10% compared to the previous year. "What is striking is that, for the first time, this growth is not mainly due to higher prices," says Logatcheva. Fairtrade products also recorded an increase of around 10%.
Several labels were designated as 'Topkeurmerk' (Top Label) by Milieu Centraal in 2022: ASC, MSC, Rainforest Alliance, Organic (including EKO and Demeter), Beter Leven 1 star (for dairy only), 2 stars and 3 stars, Fairtrade, On the way to PlanetProof and SRP. In 2024, spending on Top Labels accounted for 14% of total food expenditure.
Sales channels
The Monitor distinguishes three sales channels: supermarkets, foodservice and specialist shops for sustainable food. In supermarkets, consumer spending on sustainable products rose by 4%, reaching €12.1 billion. In the foodservice sector, spending increased slightly, by 1% to €1.7 billion, mainly due to higher prices. The strongest growth was seen in specialist shops for sustainable food, where spending between 2023 and 2024 rose by 15%, to €459 million.
