Fight for local produce in supermarket

Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten will enter into talks with supermarket chains to get more regional products on the shelves and will support farmers with regional products. This follows a proposal by Member of Parliament Carla Dik-Faber, who wants to reduce the distance between farmer and consumer. Supermarkets are still mainly buying large-scale produced food products from national or internationally operating parties.

Protecting regional products

With "a trade mission in their own country" they want to make farmers aware of the advantages of a European recognition of their regional product. Currently, few regional products are protected in the Netherlands. To increase the knowledge about obtaining a protected status, a special seminar is organized together with the European Commission.
Complicating factors such as laws and regulations, seasonal influences, prices and the limited scale that a small producer can handle, Schouten is having further research conducted.

Knowledge and contacts needed

John Janssen, chairman of Biologisch Limburg, sees added value in government support, with finance and expertise. Janssen: "It is important to listen carefully to the growers, who know exactly what they need." That there is a need among Limburg growers to showcase their products in their own region is beyond question. Janssen: "They are proud of them and it would be nice if they could be recognizable in the local supermarket. Especially in the contacts we have with supermarkets, there is still a world to be won."

Growing interest among supermarkets

Limburg supermarket chain Jan Linders has been doing regional purchasing for 10 years. Parties such as PLUS and Albert Heijn are also starting to pay more and more attention to regional products. Jan Linders spokesperson, Gineke Wilms, still sees plenty of room for growth: "Sometimes producers lack knowledge about how to go about it or the rules are very complicated. That's where the government has a nice job to do." The customer ultimately benefits, Wilms thinks: "When it comes to food, trust is very important for consumers. Surely it is wonderful that you can then buy products in the supermarket from a farmer you may even know personally."

Sources: Limburger, Biological Limburg