Eco-labelling in the Netherlands: Milieukeur and EKO-keur, 2000 and 2001
Eco-labelling
Interest in organic food has grown considerably in recent years. In 2000, the businesses covered by one eco-labelling system, EKO-keur, sold approximately 6,800 products with an estimated turnover of EUR 330 million. Their share of the total food market was, it should be pointed out, only 2%. The largest market share is in fresh fruit and vegetables (about 5%) and dairy products (about 10%). The substantial rise is mainly due to the introduction and promotion of organic products in supermarkets.
No turnover figures are available for Milieukeur businesses.
Certified companies
The number of Milieukeur businesses marketing approved products (food en non-food) has risen sharply since the early 1990s. In 2001, the Milieukeur system included 142 certified non-food companies and 46 certified food companies. The number of EKO-keur certified companies in 2001 was 917.
Certified companies are companies which market products with the Milieukeur or EKO-keur label. The companies are producers, importers and traders. The Milieukeur system sets general requirements for the products, whilst the EKO-keur guarantees biological production methods (i.e. entirely without synthetic pesticides or artificial fertilisers).
The number of certified companies provides only a limited indication of the development of the market. It groups together large and small companies. The scaling up of activities means that actual turnover growth may be larger than suggested by the number of certified companies. For example, the number of products granted the EKO-keur label may have increased much more than the number of certified companies.
