Supermarket chain SPAR and app-only grocery retailer Picnic have become the latest companies to commit to the ambitious protein transition goals set out by Dutch animal welfare organization Wakker Dier. They will work to sell 50% plant-based proteins by 2025, with this goal increasing to 60% by 2030.
A total of 11 supermarkets operating in the Netherlands have now made the commitment; the others are Albert Heijn, Aldi, Crisp, Dirk, Ekoplaza, Jumbo, Lidl, Plus, and Odin. Together, these retailers hold a market share of over 90%. The only major Dutch supermarket chain that has not yet committed to the goal is Vomar.
Currently, around 40% of proteins sold by Dutch supermarkets are plant-based. As the retailers work to increase this percentage, they will publish their progress annually; for example, Albert Heijn reported this April that 44.1% of proteins sold last year were plant-based, up from 42.6% in 2022. Importantly, the supermarkets must achieve the 60% goal without increasing the total amount of proteins sold.
Dutch protein transition
There are already indications of progress; less than two months ago, Wakker Dier published figures showing that animal meat sales at Dutch supermarkets had fallen by 16.4% since 2020. The figures, which are based on Circana sales data, also show that supermarkets sold 2.3% less meat in 2023 than in 2022, partially due to the lowering of plant-based food prices. Research published in February on behalf of ProVeg International found that some plant-based products are cheaper than their animal-based counterparts at six out of seven major Dutch supermarket chains.
In addition to the supermarkets working towards the protein transition, in September of last year, Wakker Dier announced it was partnering with ten corporate caterers that had committed to the goal of selling 60% plant-based proteins by 2030. Just three months later, six more caterers joined the pledge.
“These caterers together make a huge impact for the animals,” said Collin Molenaar of Wakker Dier. “If people experience how tasty and easy it is to eat fewer animals, they can also continue that good habit at home.”