02/04/2026
How do the largest Dutch and Belgian supermarkets perform on human rights?
Today, Solidaridad, Questionmark, Rikolto and Oxfam Novib launch Superlist Social 2026.
This report benchmarks eleven major supermarkets in the Netherlands and Belgium on their social performance. The results are clear: There is a massive gap between awareness and change on the ground. Most retailers have identified the risks, but they are failing to take the actual steps, like fair pay and better buying practices, needed to fix them.
What the report reveals:
- Missing foundations: Most retailers are failing to turn risk mapping into actual change. They aren't offering the better prices or longer contracts needed to ensure farmers and workers earn a living wage.
- Unprepared for the law: New EU rules (CSDDD) will make human rights protection a legal requirement from 2029 onwards. Currently, the sector is not prepared, with not a single supermarket offering effective ways for workers to safely report abuses.
- Good ideas are not scaling: Fairness is being treated as a side project. While some progress is seen in cocoa and bananas, these fair-pay models aren't being used for the rest of the store.
- Workers are being left behind: Issues like gender inequality and forced labor are still not being addressed in a structural way.
Supermarkets have the power to drive a fair food transition, but they aren't doing enough. It’s time to build a business model that respects human rights by design.
🔗Read the full report and see the rankings here: https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/news/dutch-and-belgian-supermarkets-falling-short-of-human-rights-standards-in-their-supply-chains/