Danish retailer Coop 365discount has urged the country's Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Jacob Jensen, to reduce VAT on fresh fruit and vegetables.
The retail chain, which is part of Coop Denmark, wrote a letter to the minister alongside the Danish Cancer Society, the Danish Heart Foundation, and the Danish Diabetes Association.
The call comes after a trial that 365discount conducted in its more than 300 stores, at the time of the Danish Parliamentary election in October 2022.
VAT Petition
The chain lowered the prices of fruit and vegetables by the equivalent of VAT. At the same time, 365discount started a petition among Danes to investigate whether there was support for differentiated VAT levels.
During the period in question, sales of vegetables increased by 44% compared to the corresponding period the year before, while fruit sales increased by 23%.
Furthermore, the petition showed that 852 respondents supported the initiative to reduce VAT on fruit and vegetables.
'Good For Public Health'
"Lower prices for green foods make Danes more motivated to buy more fruit and vegetables, and there is no doubt that it will be good for public health," said Natasha Selberg, chief consultant at the Danish Heart Foundation.
"That is why we are also pleased with the proposal, which I hope can become a reality. At the Danish Heart Foundation, we are concerned that if you want to help Danes to a healthier lifestyle, we must organise the VAT and tax systems in such a way that it becomes not only cheaper to buy healthy, but also more expensive to buy unhealthy."
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest fresh-produce news. Article by Robert McHugh. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
