CEOs Ahold, Unilever and WNF present Action Plan of 60 companies and NGOs
On June 29 Dick Boer (CEO Ahold Nederland), Peter ter Kulve (CEO Unilever Benelux), Johan van de Gronden (Director WWF Netherlands) and Joost Oorthuizen (director of the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative) presented the Action Plan Sustainable Trade 2011-2015 that states that sustainability is the responsibility of companies. Dick Boer: ‘Companies can not do it alone. Cooperation with NGOs and governments is essential to upscale sustainability’. Peter ter Kulve: ‘Sustainability must become the mainstream standard. Only than you will realise real change and will sustainable products become affordable for everybody.' The 60 companies think that IDH is the organisation that can facilitate this cooperation.
Johan van den Gronden (WNF), Dick Boer (Ahold Nederland), Peter ter Kulve (Unilever Benelux) en Joost Oorthuizen (IDH) at the presentation of the Action Plan Sustainable Trade.
The Action Plan consist of a 
vison letter (441.6 Kb)undersigned by more than 60 companies and 8 civil society organisations, and a portfolio with sectoral development programs (198.5 Kb).
The Action Plan is adressed to the members (and candidate members) of the House of Parlement of the Netherlands. With a annual turnover of 37 billion euros and 61.000 FTE, the supply chains of the development programs are of great importance to the Dutch economy.
The urgency for companies to become sustainable is evident. Johan van de Gronden: ‘We can not keep taking from the earth. Soy production can not continue at the cost of tropical rain forest’. Peter ter Kulve: ‘We can not keep on defining growth as a linear proces. Ground materials will become scarce and expensive.’
Dick Boer: ‘We want all our private labels to be sustainable in 2015. Our customers expect that from a company like ours.’ Peter ter Kulve: ‘Sustainability is enlighted self interest and essential for the Dutch economy. It will become the core strategy of multinationals like Unilever.' We are working on sustainable palm oil. In 2015 all our tea will be sustainable. That will take a lot of effort. And we need NGOs and governments to help us.'
Active role of the government
De ministers Maxime Verhagen (Foreign Affairs) and Gerda Verburg (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) recognise in a first reaction that the Dutch government should play an active role in making trade with developing countries sustainable. More cooperation will lead to more effective public and private investments. The ministers both welcome the actionplan of IDH and invite the 70 undersigners to start working together with the government.
Video Action Plan Sustainable Trade 2011-2015
Next to the three presenting CEOs, some other organisations that undersign the action plan publicly speak out for sustainable supply chains. Amongst them Cargill, Sara Lee, Nutreco, ICCO, Solidaridad and the Rabobank.
For more information contact Lucian Peppelenbos: peppelenbos@duurzamehandel.com or by phone: +31 (0) 30 236 34 88.
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