Minister of Agriculture Roman Schneider, hopes to respond to an increasingly aware public and a growing demand for more transparency, while simultaneously encouraging and promoting quality Luxembourgish produce.
The new accreditation process objectively assesses brands according to clear and verifiable guidelines, which aim to create a universally coherent system, increased transparency, and ultimately, build consumer trust.
The official logo, meanwhile, should make it easier to identify the produce amongst the hundreds available on the shelf.
The certification should also guarantee consumers that what is in the packet corresponds to what is written on the label.
Additionally, it ensures the products fulfil set criteria highlighting certain aspects such as "quality - taste", "regional - fair" and "environment - animal well-being".
Roman Schneider also explained than in the current climate where sustainability has gained such traction, international commitment surrounding climate change is pushing us towards reforming our production and food consumption processes. In the era of the "circular" and "organic" economy, "quality" and "sustainability" have become standard. This is why it was essential to deconstruct the mess of a multitude of labels all vying for customers attention and allow consumers to make informed choices when it comes to the the purchase of products that fulfil these credentials.
To this end, a website has been designed to make the process easier for both individual consumers as well as the food industry.
The accreditation is also supposed to ensure greater use of quality regional products produced by Luxembourg companies in the food industry. As a matter of fact, the new EU directives on public procurement make it possible to impose certain sustainability and environmental requirements, stimulating the use of products from certified sustainable backgrounds.
In this context, Romain Schneider stressed that approved products would gain a head start in comparison to "standard" competitors in calls for tenders.
The big difference compared to the first label approval project (filed in 2017) is the visualisation of the label, which has been completely reworked to align with that of "nation branding". The label will clearly distinguish quality labels from the large number of existing labels and import products.
Official recognition of labels by the state therefore generates added value both in terms of guaranteeing quality and credibility to the consumer, and for label managers who can use this in their communication and marketing.
It is also important to underline that this quality approach is based on the voluntary participation of label managers in Luxembourg.
For Romain Schneider, this bill is all the more important in the current context of the pandemic. Indeed, the health crisis has heightened the awareness of the population of the importance of our food system. Consumers have an increasingly attentive and vigilant view of the parameters of sustainability and quality and give more preference to products from the region.
