Broadcast on July 3rd on TV channel France 5, the new edition of the program Sur le Front, presented by Hugo Clément, focuses on the HEV label. It is presented as a simple “greenwashing operation” that is “partly responsible for the drop in organic consumption.” A “false debate”, according to professionals committed to HEV.
“You may have already seen the logo, which depicts a pretty landscape, with a butterfly, trees, an old house and a field. With a name and a visual like that, consumers are put at ease. What could be more eco-friendly than ‘High Environmental Value’? But in reality, HEV is a fine greenwashing operation,” asserted Hugo Clément on France Inter radio on June 28th, introducing his program Sur le Front.
The program also discusses the legal action taken by several associations against the HEV label for “deception”. On January 23rd, a group of consumer, environmental and health associations, as well as organic farmers and businesses, took the HEV label to the French Council of State to put an end to what they saw as a “greenwashing” operation. “Justice must put an end to consumer deception,” said the press release. “The legal analysis requested by the collective from a law firm shows that the HEV label represents a deception of the consumer, and that the promise of environmental excellence implied by the label's name and required by law is still not fulfilled by the new standard.”
Is the HEV label responsible for the decline of the organic sector?
According to the documentary, the drop in sales of organic products is not due “only to the fall in purchasing power and inflation.” Soizic Le Corre, manager of several Biocoops, confirms that “the arrival of various labels such as HEV has led to a loss of interest in organic products (sales down by 20%), which in turn has led us to close a store.”
As Matthieu, a 36-year-old organic producer interviewed by Hugo Clément, explains, the HEV label has never claimed to be “as demanding as organic production.” It does create confusion among consumers, and for this reason, the producer has decided to get involved in the fight against HEV, because for him, “consumers are unfairly misled.”
Matthieu has launched a campaign to denounce the fact that organic farmers find themselves “naked”
A campaign led by other organic producers in France
A “false debate”, according to HEV operators
“Is the HEV label really responsible for the decline of the organic sector today? Doesn’t it have more to do with organic farming itself? I am not sure it will help organic farming in the long term, especially since creating opposition between certifications undermines the credibility of the approach. Organic farming needs to start communicating in a positive way.”