From January, we started testing crop protection product residues on our products, which we do in collaboration with the Groen Agro Control laboratory.
These residue tests allow us to see which and how many plant protection products are used on our products. After all, we are all familiar with the criticism brought out every year around Valentine's Day by organisations such as Greenpeace or the German öko-test. Research by Bloemenbureau Holland also shows that the use of plant protection products on flowers and plants is of increasing concern to consumers.
Plant protection products are of course used for a reason, they protect against insects, fungus and diseases. Yet their use must remain responsible for the people working with the products, for our customers and for the environment. We also want to use these spot checks to make sure the products are used according to the law. Banned substances are obviously undesirable, and we want to make this clear to our suppliers. Drugs banned in Europe are sometimes still used outside Europe, but are therefore often on retailers' banned lists. Growers who are environmentally certified have to comply with requirements regarding crop protection products, which are checked. They can lose their certificate if, for instance, banned subst
This year, we conduct residue tests on products from various growers from different countries every month. This allows us to see the difference between growers, regions and seasons. Once we have the results, we will engage with growers to learn from each other. We want to create an open discussion in which we work together with the growers to find solutions, to be able to supply products on which minimal chemistry has been used and which can be purchased by our customers with peace of mind. Our aim is to create cooperation in this way and ultimately create policy on the use of crop protection products so that we thereby make the sector sustainable.