The Dutch campaign Samen Sterk ('Strong Together'), which encourages the nation's populace to eat home-grown fresh produce in the wake of export bans to Russia, has reached 10 per cent of the population, according to research.
The extraordinary success, which has been backed by seed companies, celebrity chefs and retailers, has generated speculation that it could result in the creation of a Dutch produce brand in the future.
Pleun van Malkenhorst, managing director of the Dutch pepper growers' group Rainbow Growers and one of the founding members of the campaign, said that the Samen Sterk campaign is going from "strength to strength".
"Key people from the campaign are actually sitting round the table with retailers to discuss the campaign and to find ways of promoting Dutch produce," he stated. "Labels with the Dutch flag are being placed on products from growers involved in the campaign to point out the country of origin, to just name one of the action points.
"Who knows what the future holds, and it is maybe a bit premature, but it could even be earmarked as a potential national brand to promote Dutch greenhouse vegetables being exported to other countries."
© 2014 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article written by Peter Donnelly.
