[Consumer Organisations and Sustainable Consumption]
[Women's Environmental Organisations]
[Fair Trade: North - South Partnerships in Practice]
[LETS and other sustainable employment initiatives]
[A "Third Way" for Passenger Transportation?]
NGOs are using the carrot and stick instrument:on the one hand they punish manufacturers for dangerous and polluting products,on the other hand they actively help to create markets for the environmentally'better' products. This strategy leads to the agreement of "covenants"between NGOs and industry which are possibly more successful than the government'scovenants.
Author: Sascha Kranendonk, Wuppertal Institute
Natuur&Milieu, FOE Netherlands, various other environmental NGOsand two consumer organisations started a campaign in February 1994 againstthe use of pesticides in flower growing. The motto being "naturallyflowers without toxins". With its 1,5 million kilos of pesticide useand 16 million kilos of artificial fertilizer the flower growing sectoris among the most polluting of any agricultural sector in the Netherlands.The pesticides and fertilizer enter into the soil and water and put thedrinking water quality at risk, unnecessarily, since good alternatives doexist. The first step was to call on the flower-auctions to give preferentialtreatment for ,eco-flowers` (grown without use of pesticides or fertilizerand low in energy), and ,better flowers` (4 -5 times less input of pesticides,energy and fertilizer). The next step has been to ask the Minister for Agricultureto prohibit the sale of some of the worst pesticides and restrict the useof others. Additionally, the Ministry was asked to fund a research and informationbudget for environmentally-friendly flower growing. The interest of theflower growers themselves in the campaign is on the increase. 5,000 flowergrowers have already signed up for the voluntary certification programmeto produce ,better` flowers. The "naturally flowers without toxins"campaign was ended by a joint Eko-Tulip bulb planting action of Milieudefensietogether with schools of the city of Haarlem on November 23. 1995. The studentsplanted 2000 EKO-tulip bulbs in the public parks of the town. In total Dutchmunicipalities have ordered 174,650 EKO-bulbs for next year. A total of136 municipalities, inclu-ding the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrechtand The Hague, have said they would consider the move to EKO-bulbs. Sincethe beginning of the campaign in 1993 consumers bought some 100,000 EKO-bulbs.
FOE Netherlands and other environmental NGOs organised a campaign in1993 against the intensive use of pesticides on Dutch potatoes, (using aboycott strategy to induce change). The NGOs entered into negotiations withthe association of Dutch potato farmers and proposed alternative farmingmethods requiring far less pesticides. They agreed to stop campaigning againstthe poisonous potatoes and even agreed to create an 'aardige aardappel`(friendly potato) seal. In this way customers could distinguish betweennormal and low-pesticide potatoes. Potato farmers, NGOs and customers areall satisfied with the results of the campaign. But another market has suffered:the clientele of organic farmers and organic product retailers has switchedto the low-pesticide potatoes and sales of organic potatoes have declinedas a result of the campaign.
A new campaign of Milieudefensie concerns meat and the linked problemsof manure, nitrate and air pollution. For months a war has raged betweenon the one hand pig farmers and on the other hand local authorities andenvironmental groups in the Netherlands. At stake was proposed legislationlimiting the dumping of superfluous liquid manure (containing a.o. nitrateswhich pollutes drinking water) on meadows and in canals. The farmers haveopposed this limitation but found it difficult to provide alternatives.On 8. September 1995 a covenant has been signed between several environment,animal defense and consumer organisations including Milieudefensie withthe association of free-range pig farmers. The covenant foresees the introductionof a free-range meat quality seal and the active promotion of free-rangemeat with consumers and retailers. Whereas hitherto free-range pig farmershad only focused on animal well-being the covenant also introduces the aimof reducing environmental pollution. The free-range producers and NGOs havefounded a working group including scientist who will do research on theaspects of environmental improvement combined with animal well-being ina specially set up test-station. In parallel local environment and consumergroups are trying to raise consumer awareness about the meat issue by placingstickers on Supermarket doors asking consumers not to buy industrial pigmeat. These local groups also distribute leaflets which explain the environmental,health and animal care issues of meat. The leaflet also indicated and comparesproducers of free-range meat. The meat campaign is currently going internationalin a joint campaign with FOE German group BUND.