News item | 28-01-2025 | 09:00
On January 28 it is renewed Dashboard Sustainability Supermarkets went live. This website provides insight into the extent to which Dutch supermarkets contribute to a sustainable food system. With the dashboard, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) meets a motion that raised the contribution of supermarkets to this food system.
All larger supermarkets in the Netherlands
The previous version of the dashboard appeared in March 2024, containing the sustainability data of the 5 largest Dutch supermarket chains over 2022. Almost all larger supermarket chains in the Netherlands have provided data for 2023 to this second, renewed, version of the dashboard. Wageningen Social & Economic Research has requested this information at these supermarket chains.
European legislation on transparency
From 2024, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) entered into force. This means that companies from Europe are phased in phases to report on their impact on people, the environment and society. Larger supermarket chains also have to deal with the CSRD, so that they have to offer transparency about sustainability. The new version of the dashboard contains information for the year 2023. Supermarkets were not yet obliged to make this data public. It is therefore positive to see that most supermarkets already take proactive steps towards more transparency.
Sculpture
Thanks to the contribution of the larger supermarket chains, the dashboard is now much more complete and it gives more insight into how supermarkets are doing in the field of sustainability. This is done on the basis of various indicators that deal with themes such as biodiversity and ecosystems, food waste, quality marks and climate. In addition, the supermarkets have added their own objectives in the field of biological offer to the dashboard.
Not all indicators are completely supplied for all supermarkets, but the new dashboard already gives a very good picture. For example, it can be seen that supermarkets are taking good steps when combating food waste in their own business operations. Protein transition shows that supermarkets action is still needed to achieve your own objectives. A new version of the dashboard will follow later this year. In collaboration with supermarkets and social organizations, the dashboard will be further developed and indicators will be adjusted where necessary.
Usable for more studies
The data that has been collected and published on the dashboard can also be used for other studies. For example, the dashboard can be used by NGOs, policy makers and journalists. In addition, supermarkets can see for themselves how they perform in the field of sustainability compared to other supermarkets.