The Dutch spent more on meat, vegetables, dairy and bread with a “sustainable” label last year, which now accounts for a bigger proportion of total spending on food, according to research by national statistics organisation CBS and Wageningen University.

In total, consumers spent €12.6 billion on “sustainable” food last year, 14% more than in 2022. Total spending on food was up 11%, roughly in line with inflation, NOS quoted the research as saying.

The research, carried out on behalf of the farm ministry, showed that €4.3 billion went on meat with the Beter Leven label – criticised for being misleading by animal rights groups. Consumers spent €3.1 billion on food with the Rainforest Alliance label and €2 billion on food labeled as being organic.

Supermarkets accounted for most of the gain and spending in specialist organic food shops fell 4%.

The switch from non-sustainable to sustainable foodstuffs is most visible in dairy and meat produce, the CBS said.

Last month green product advisory agency Milieu Centraal  said the plethora of labels on products on Dutch supermarket shelves is causing confusion and action is needed to stop companies from coming up with their own systems.

The government-backed group was launching a new campaign to bring more clarity to food labeling, so that consumers can be sure that the brands they choose actually represent something.

On the way to PlanetProof, Beter Leven, Cocoa Life, Harmony Overeenkomst, Dolphin Safe and Fair for Life are among the 140 labeling systems that Milieu Central has identified and included in its own register.