Ongoing growth for dairy and eggs with quality label On the way to PlanetProof
Publication date: 17 March 2022The quality label On the way to PlanetProof continues to grow. The area of land managed by dairy farmers who meet the sustainability criteria of On the way to PlanetProof increased by 3% in 2021 compared to 2020. The number of poultry farmers increased by 24% in 2021. Earlier, SMK announced the ongoing growth for plant products with the quality label.
The top quality label1 has an integral approach, setting requirements for sustainability on 8 themes. On the way to PlanetProof is an open and independent standard that is accessible to all companies that wish to participate. On the way to PlanetProof is available for various sectors: arable farming, fruit and vegetables, floriculture, eggs, dairy, prepared & processed products, trade and retail. In addition, the quality label is active at national and international level.
Dairy
Nearly 800 dairy farmers in The Netherlands affiliated with FrieslandCampina and Farmel Dairy meet sustainability requirements. They produce milk for a wide range of dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, drinks, cheese, and butter. The dairy products find their way via supermarkets to consumers as Dutch A-brands (Campina) or private labels (such as Milsani, Milbona, Melkan).
Area
The area of land managed by dairy farmers according to the requirements of On the way to PlanetProof Milk increased by 3% to almost 47,907 hectares in 2021.
Together with the agricultural area for crop products, production according to On the way to PlanetProof covers 102,097 hectares by the end of 2021, an increase of 12%.
Click here to see the figure bigger.
Click here to see the figure bigger.
Eggs
The number of certified companies with laying hens is also increasing significantly. More than 31 poultry farmers are making their egg production more sustainable based on the criteria of On the Way to PlanetProof. This means that 5.6% of all poultry farmers in the Netherlands are certified with the quality label. According to CBS2 there were 33.410.000 animal places for laying hens in total in 2021 in the Netherlands. Of these, 2.2% are certified for On the way to PlanetProof.
Also, 4 trading companies are certified. The eggs are supplied under the Dutch brands Blije Kip, Eike, Kipster, Oerei, Rondeel and Zorgeieren. This enables consumers to make a more sustainable choice in these product groups as well.
Ambition
With On the way to PlanetProof, certificate holders are working towards the sustainability goals of the Climate Agreement and the worldwide Sustainable Development Goals in the areas of production and consumption, water and soil, landscape and biodiversity.
More information
- Ellen Brussee, Communication Manager, ebrussee@smk.nl or (+31) 06-82311031
- 1On the way to PlanetProof is one of the top 10 quality marks in The Netherlands, according to Milieu Centraal
- 2CBS stats about number of animal places for laying hens in The Netherlands
- Criteria for On the way to PlanetProof Milk (Dutch scheme)
- Criteria for On the way to PlanetProof Eggs (Dutch scheme)