Does it make sense to choose PlanetProof?

PlanetProof - is it logical? Do retailers pay for it? Is packaging needed for visibility? How interchangeable are products? Is PlanetProof a "must" or not? And, is PlanetProof actually not very organic? Participants of the fresh fruit and vegetable Trend Café provided much discussion at the recent meeting.

Miriam van Bree (Bionext) and Daan van Empel (GroentenFruit Huis)

Leader

First up was Daan van Empel, GroentenFruit Huis' Policy Officer. GroentenFruit Huis is a Dutch fruit and vegetable growers and traders association. He provided some context about PlanetProof and the GroentenFruit Huis' point of view. As an ambassador for this quality mark, they have committed themselves to this certificate. They see it as a means to, independently, guarantee sustainability and transparency in the fruit and vegetable sector.

There are two objectives with regards to the growers - to make this mark of quality feasible and affordable. In order to reach these goals, the certification scheme has recently been simplified while maintaining its level of ambition. The next step is to put this quality mark on the international map. The name was, therefore, changed a while ago from Milieukeur to (On the way to) PlanetProof. It has become a means for farmers or traders to distinguish themselves in the European market.

PlanetProof is a step in the right direction toward a more sustainable world. This fits with the agreements reached at the United Nations (the sustainable development goals). It also in line with the Paris Climate Accord, explained Daan. "Much has already been done in the Netherlands in the area of sustainability within the fruit and vegetable sector. For this reason, the Netherlands can quickly become a world leader in this regard."

Difference with organic

Is something that is sustainable, also organic? No, explained Bionext's Miriam van Bree. Bionext is the Dutch organic sector's umbrella branch organisation. The basic principles of organic farming and the quality labels that assure this include several aspects. A significant difference is that organic farming is a holistic approach to agriculture. It looks at agriculture as a whole, not only the impact it has on the environment. It also takes other factors such as long-term land use and social aspects into consideration.

There are two marks of quality that are important for organic farming. One is the European Organic quality label, guaranteed by European legislation. The other is the Eko quality mark. This is a Dutch mark of quality which is, in fact, a European organic 'plus'. If you have an Eko certificate, it means you meet the European organic quality standards, and you improve/sustain two business processes per year.

Another important point is that PlanetProof has far less market value than organically certified products. Peter Duijvestijn, of Duijvestijn tomatoes, cultivates PlanetProof products. However, he cannot switch to organic because of the requirement that the tomatoes be grown in full soil. But, why is a tomato grown in a pot, filled with soil, not organic while one grown in full soil, is? And why, then, are tomatoes grown in substrate-enriched soil in Spain deemed organic?

Biologically-speaking, it is about the soil as a whole, which is about more than just a pot, Miriam explained. "This is why Europe is working on makes the criteria for organic farming stricter. The Spanish technique will no longer be considered organic. Just like for the Scandinavian countries, where tomatoes are cultivated in pots. The European organic quality label is underwritten by European laws. It, therefore, takes a lot of time to amend them", she said.

Visibility

Is it then a good idea to put the PlanetProof mark of quality on the packaging? This has two advantages. The first is the creation of value since the mark is becoming better known. The other is clarity about the product's supplier. However, yet another label on the packaging does not sit well with retailers, says Joost Hoes from the Dutch supermarket chain, Plus. They work with many different suppliers and cannot keep changing the packaging.

The trust between retailers and suppliers was also a point of discussion. The retail sector communicated their goals with regard to PlanetProof but who is controlling this? You cannot simply see which products are PlanetProof. They do not, after all, have quality labels on them. When a fruit and vegetable buyer has to choose between the more expensive PlanetProof product and a cheaper uncertified one, who is to say they do not go for the less costly item? NGOs could control this, but it would not be a priority for them. Greenpeace wants the sector to become organic and is, therefore, only interested in that.

Who will carry the costs

Something that always enjoys attention is the cost. Who is going to pay the additional costs for the investments and efforts put into PlanetProof? Peter Duijvestijn estimates that it has cost him a minimum of EUR30.000. Part of this money was lost due to the actions of the municipality. They cut down flowering herbs he had sown before the bees could benefit from them. This illustrates how things can go awry, since it was started to help the bees.

Are the costs incurred by farmers reimbursed by a surcharge on the product? It is often said that these additional costs are not paid by the retailers. The prices are the same and growers without the quality label are paid less. Joost Hoes thinks the extra cost will have to be paid. It is, however, not always clear to him, as a fruit and vegetable buyer, how this price is determined. "Some suppliers indicate that the surcharge is, for instance, 1 cent per kg. Others do not make the costs pertaining to PlanetProof known." Miriam from Bionext pointed out that retailers pay for the right to stock organically-certified products. The cost of PlanetProof, therefore, lies with the growers.

Shall or may?

Can the sector bypass PlanetProof? Does retail demand, or merely ask, this of the sector? In an earlier article about PlanetProof, Els Lindeboom of the Milieukeur Foundation (SMK) said the PlanetProof-certified acreage is increasing. SMK noticed that by using PlanetProof, cultivators build a direct relationship with retailers. These farmers know they can agree on long-term contracts. They are then more inclined to invest in PlanetProof, said Els. Jan Willem Tolhoek of Zaltbommel Auctioneers gets the feeling that the sector would not be able to get around PlanetProof. "Major players like The Greenery and Fruitmasters have agreed to introduce PlanetProof right away. This has put other companies on the spot."