Which efforts do Dutch supermarkets make to encourage increase the sales of organic food?

Benchmark Bio 2026

The current form of agriculture in Europe is unsustainable; emissions of greenhouse gases, ammonia, particulate matter, and pesticides have significant harmful impacts on the climate, water, and biodiversity. Agriculture must modernise to better protect ecological boundaries. A key component of this modernisation is the EU’s objective to increase the organic farmland to 25% by 2030. The Dutch government has translated this into an ambition of 15% organic farmland in the Netherlands. Currently, this stands at approximately 4%.

To achieve this, it is crucial that the demand for organic agricultural products grows. Increasing demand helps both the industry and farmers to invest in the transition.

The Benchmark Bio is an interim assessment within the Superlist program, focusing exclusively on the topic of organic. In this project, Questionmark compares the largest Dutch supermarkets on their efforts to stimulate the sale of organic products.

Publication methodology

Data collection

Publication

Symposium

Organic at A-brands

The European Union has set a target to grow organic farmland to 25% in 2030. The Netherlands has set a target at 15%. An important means to reach these targets is to raise the demand from the market. A-brands play a crucial role in creating and meeting this demand. 

This project will look into what role organic plays in the sustainability policies of the biggest A-brands and producers. It will provide insight into whether A-brands sell organic products and whether they report on the share of organic of their total products. We will follow up with interviews with several A-brands to learn to what extent organic is and will be part of their sustainability policy. 

Publication report

A collective movement to encourage more plant-based consumption

Industry agreement protein transition

Questionmark is working with supermarket chains and the sector association CBL to identify the measures supermarkets can take — both individually and collectively — to accelerate the protein transition and meet the established targets (50/50 by 2023 as set by the government, and 60/40 by 2030 as committed to by several supermarket chains).

In addition, Questionmark is partnering with several civil society organisations to collaborate with the agricultural sector, businesses, academia, and government on the development of a Dutch Plant-Based Action Plan. This plan aims to mobilize investment in knowledge, networks, and financial capacity to drive the plant-based transition, inspired by the successful model implemented in Denmark.

Within this process, Questionmark is leading the engagement of supermarket chains and the sector association CBL, with the goal of securing formal endorsement of the plan on behalf of (part of) the supermarket sector.

How child friendly are Dutch supermarkets in 2025?

Child friendly supermarkets 2025

Parents who try to make healthy choices for their babies and young children in supermarkets are often misled or face challenges. What children eat at a young age has a major impact on their taste development and long-term health. Supermarkets play a crucial role in this, as almost all food and drinks consumed by children are purchased there. So the question is: to what extent do Dutch supermarkets support children in eating healthy?

Healthy start? The range of food products for children in supermarkets.

Contributing to more organic agriculture through produce and dairy in the supermarket

Organic dairy and produce in the supermarket

The Dutch government has a target of 15% organic agricultural land by 2030. The current 5% is a long way off. By encouraging supermarket chains and producers to set targets for organic sales overall, and specifically for high-impact subcategories such as dairy and fresh produce (fruit and vegetables), they can give a strong impuls to the organic market.

Questionmark engages in dialogue with supermarkets about concrete steps in their assortments and business operations to achieve these targets, and facilitates collective action within the supermarket sector to help move the industry forward.

How do Dutch and Belgian supermarkets take responsibility for human rights in the supply chain?

Supermarkets fall short on ensuring fair pay for workers and farmers

Superlist Social the Netherlands & Belgium 2026

How do Belgian and Dutch supermarkets take responsibility for human rights in the supply chain?


Superlist Social in the Netherlands and Belgium (2026) compares Dutch and Belgian supermarkets on their contribution to a fair food system. For the first time, Dutch and Belgian supermarkets are combined in one research. The six largest Dutch supermarkets and five largest Belgian supermarkets will be compared on their performances in respecting human rights in their supply chains. The first Superlist Social in the Netherlands was published in 2023, and the first Superlist Social in Belgium was published in 2024.

Seminar supermarkets

Publication Research Methodology

Retailer Round Table

Superlist Social Belgium & the Netherlands 2026

How do Europe's largest retailers contribute to a sustainable food system through climate plans and protein strategies? 

Superlist Environment Europe 2026

Go to full international press release (English)

Which supermarkets are aligning their climate plans with the Paris Agreement and shifting their product offerings toward more plant-rich diets?

For the first time, Superlist Environment Europe benchmarks 27 of the largest European supermarkets across eight countries, showing how they contribute to a more sustainable food system. Supermarkets, as the link between producers and consumers, play a key role in driving this transition.

SuperlistEnvironment Europe reveals how supermarkets measure up, highlights best practices, and provides recommendations to help them improve, while enabling easy comparison with competitors at both national and European levels.

Webinar methodology

UK Retailer Symposium

How do Dutch supermarkets take responsibility for sustainability?

How do Dutch supermarkets make sustainable food the easy choice?

Superlist Green in the Netherlands compares Dutch supermarkets on their contribution to a sustainable food system. The six largest Dutch supermarkets included in this study are Albert Heijn, Aldi, Dirk, Jumbo, Lidl and Plus. The sustainability efforts of these supermarkets are compared on climate plans, protein transition, nature inclusive agriculture, sustainable packaging and sustainable fish.

Seminar supermarkts

Publication research method

Report Publication

Follow up

Factsheet packaging

Superlist Environment The Netherlands 2025

Meer over de brief aan de formateur (Dutch)

The introduction of a ban on volume promotions in the UK brings momentum to raise the discussion of regulating such marketing in the Netherlands. Volume promotions are all promotions that require the customer to buy more than one product to receive a discount (1+1 free, 3 for the price of 2). Multibuys are proven to lead to overconsumption and do not help customers save money. Marketing unhealthy food effectively influences purchase and consumption behaviour, particularly among children. On the 1st of October, the UK is implementing a revolutionary ban on the use of these promotions on unhealthy food in an attemt to combat rising obesity rates.

The obesity epidemic is not limited to the UK, 1 in 7 children in the Netherlands is overweight of obese. The Netherlands can use the developments in the UK to explore possibilities for similar effects. Questionmark will bring together civil society organisations and scientists to coordinate activities in the Netherlands and put the topic high on the political agenda.

Which premium brands can contribute first to the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture's Action Plan "Growth of organic production and consumption"?

The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture has the ambition to achieve 15% organic farmland in the Netherlands by 2030. Premium brands can play a major role in reaching that goal, but their role is currently still underexposed. The Ministry wants to call on premium brands to source more from Dutch organic agriculture. There are many hundreds of brands available in the Dutch market. A crucial first step, therefore, is to map out which brands are best suited to be approached.

How do German supermarkets contribute to sustainable food?

How do German supermarkets contribute to sustainable food

Superlist Environment Germany 2025

How do German supermarkets contribute to a sustainable food system?

Superlist Environment is an ongoing benchmarking and advisory project on the environmental sustainability performances of food retailers, conducted in several European countries. Superlist Environment Germany is conducted in partnership with Albert Schweitzer Foundation, Madre Brava, Physician Association for Nutrition and ProVeg, with consulting from Deutsche Umwelthilfe.

Superlist Environment in Germany compares the supermarkets with the largest market share (Aldi Nord, Aldi Süd, Edeka, Kaufland, Lidl and Rewe) on the issues: protein transition, sustainable agriculture and deforestation, and climate plans.

Publication Methodology

Data collection period

Alcohol promotions in the Supermarket

This research compares the alcohol promotions of the six largest Dutch supermarkets – Albert Heijn, Aldi, Dirk, Jumbo, Lidl en Plus - between 2020 and 2024. Questionmark zooms in on Superlist Health the Netherlands 2024 findings, in collaboration with the AlcoholPreventie voor de Gezonde Generatie (AlcoholPrevention for the Healthy Generation).

All pages

Benchmark Bio 2026

Organic at A-brands

Sector agreement protein transition

Healthy start? The range of food products for children in supermarkets.

Organic dairy and produce in the supermarket

Superlist Social Belgium & the Netherlands 2026

Superlist Environment Europe 2026

Superlist Environment The Netherlands 2025

Regulation of multibuys

Premium brands in the organic market

Superlist Environment Germany 2025

Alcohol promotions

Independent by design

Partner with us