7 Checkmarks for Organic

Wed, Feb 25, 2026

Organic farming ticks 7 key boxes. Just consider the facts: it is better for biodiversity, soil health, water quality, the climate, human health, animal welfare, and the resilience of agriculture against extreme weather. Furthermore, the report (link: https://grondbeginsel.nl/ text: “The Hidden Bill” )shows that if the protein transition continues, the Netherlands will be able to produce more than enough calories to feed ourselves, and even export food, using 100% organic farming.

15% Organic Farmland

Even though a total transition to organic farming might seem like a utopia for now, it is clear that with our current organic acreage at around 5%, the Netherlands is lagging far behind the rest of Europe. It is therefore only logical that the Dutch government has set a policy to grow to 15% organic farmland by 2030. This remains a modest goal, however, considering the European target of 25% by 2030.

Picking Up the Pace

The ambition is there, but when it comes to execution, everyone is unfortunately waiting for someone else to move first. Farmers are willing to switch if buyers are prepared to pay a fair price for organic products; supermarkets are willing to switch if the consumer demand is there. And the consumer? They are slightly confused by the maze of labels. As citizens, they are enthusiastic about organic, but as shoppers standing at the shelf, they still too often opt for the cheapest deal.

And that’s the rub: conventional products are too cheap because they don’t include the costs of the "missing 7 ticks" in their price, instead passing those costs on to society. You would think that if the free market doesn’t move in the right direction, the government should step in. But so far, that hasn't happened. While the government is running a consumer campaign to highlight the benefits of organic, they are careful not to be too clear, as they don't want to disqualify conventional products. In short: we are getting nowhere fast.

The 15% Club

Ta-da! Time for the 15% Club—a group of professionals (including Robin Food, Questionmark, RVO, and several independents) on a mission to drive organic growth. The idea: if we wait for consumers to choose organic on their own, we’ll be waiting until the cows come home. We need to help the consumer by ensuring that supermarkets and caterers offer certain products exclusively as organic. This will drive up volumes and hopefully narrow the price gap, making organic affordable for everyone. The 15% Club is currently working with both supermarkets and caterers to reach agreements on collectively expanding the organic range—all within the boundaries of competition laws.

And back to that 15% organic target: because so much land in the Netherlands is used for livestock, growth in the fresh dairy segment could lead to a substantial increase in organic acreage. In our dreams, all dairy consumed in the Netherlands would eventually be organic.