More sustainable food: ZNU demands different pricing from retail centres

The ZNU - Centre for Sustainable Leadership at Witten/Herdecke University is calling on German retailers to change the way they price food. According to ZNU Director Dr Axel Kölle, it is currently mainly the manufacturers who have to cope with increased production and transport costs.

Many producers under the umbrella of the ZNU have made considerable investments in sustainable business practices and more sustainable raw materials in recent years, without this being directly reflected in prices for consumers. In addition, rising prices for raw materials, packaging, energy and transport are currently helping to push the costs of producing food and other consumer goods to unprecedented heights, which could jeopardise the existence of individual companies.

Making supply chains sustainable

The sustainable design of supply chains means taking into account all three dimensions of sustainability - economic, ecological and social. In concrete terms, this means that when producing chocolate, for example, companies consider the social and ecological aspects of cocoa production in the countries of origin, such as the Ivory Coast, and how small farmers also benefit from this.

ZNU Director Dr Christian Geßner: "We are very concerned that sustainability is falling by the wayside because small and medium-sized producers in particular are currently lacking breathing space due to the tough negotiating positions of the trade and are often no longer able to cover their costs. Ways are being found in other countries, but in Germany it seems to be much more difficult to work together; however, this is more necessary than ever given the extreme current situation caused by the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis."

The two ZNU directors continue: "It is unacceptable that most trade centres in Germany are currently unwilling to bear the massive increase in production costs for manufacturers or to pass some of these costs on to end consumers. If we want a sustainable economic system, this must be supported from the producer to the retailer to the end consumer."

For years, the ZNU has acted as a platform - especially for SMEs - and as a bridge to the German food trade in order to jointly promote more sustainable business practices. The ZNU continues to see this bridge as important.