SMK organises public consultation for revision of the On the way to PlanetProof Plant Products

As of the 1st of January 2023, new requirements will apply for the On the way to PlanetProof Plant Products certification scheme. SMK invites stakeholders to comment on the draft certification scheme.

Public consultation

The public consultation will take place from the 1^st to the 21^st of October. SMK will publish the draft version of the certification scheme on the website on the 1^st of October. During the public consultation stakeholders can give written or oral feedback on the proposals for the revision.

Written response

Your written response to the proposed changes is welcome until the 21^st of October 2022, via the Consultation Form (English / Spanish).

Meetings

SMK also organises three meetings to give input.

• Dutch public hearing: on Tuesday the 18^th of October, from 1 to 3.30 PM, at Expo Houten, The Netherlands
• Spanish online meeting: the 19^th October, from 3 to 5 PM (MS Teams)
• English online meeting: the 20^th of October, from 3 to 5 PM (MS Teams)

Please register for the online meeting by using the links above, before the 11^th of October.
The response from the public consultation, including the feedback during the meetings, will be considered in the final determination of the certification scheme that the Board of Experts will finalise for publication in December 2022.

Explanation of changes in the certification scheme
The Board of Experts proposes a few adjustments for the new certification scheme. Some important changes are:

1. The risk substances lists are revised, after evaluating changes in regulations and the availability of alternatives.
2. Emission due to electricity consumption is added to the emission standard for covered crops.
3. Registration of energy consumption and calculation of greenhouse gas emissions is also mandatory for open cultivation. This creates more insight into energy consumption and opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
4. For the theme of water, there are new optional measures and a mandatory number of points to be obtained, depending on the risk of water scarcity in an area.
5. A farm nature plan is required for open cultivation, leading to the realisation of 5% acreage for biodiversity on the farm in 2026.