We’re proud to announce the launch of the GGN label across the fruit and vegetable category with Spanish retailer Eroski. Under their own “Eroski Natur” brand, the retailer will become the first ever to offer the combination of GGN labelled fruit and vegetables and aquaculture products under one roof. The label will be rolled out in stores across the country from March.

GGN label momentum grows across Europe

After the launch in 2021, the new cross-category GGN label for certified aquaculture, flowers and ornamentals, and fruit and vegetables continues to grow across Europe. Eroski became the first retailer in Spain to join the GGN label initiative in 2018, and this year, another milestone will be achieved when it becomes the first retailer to adopt the new cross-category GGN label for both aquaculture and fruit and vegetables.

The new-look label has also been welcomed across different categories elsewhere in Europe, with retailers in Germany and the UK now offering labelled aquaculture and flowers and ornamentals products in stores.

Eroski as pioneer of GGN labelled products

Since 2018, EROSKI has offered aquaculture products with the GGN label at the fresh fish counter. In 2020, the retailer labelled 1000 metric tons of produce – including the species meagre, seabream, seabass, turbot, Atlantic salmon and shrimps – rising to 1460 metric tons in 2021.  

Building on this success and with clear demand from consumers, the further adoption of the GGN label in the fruit and vegetable sector will include a diverse range of products such as bananas, strawberries, and broccoli. This encompasses fresh goods from over 40 producers representing 14 GGN label license holders. 

Featuring exclusively on the “Eroski Natur” brand which already contains over 500 certified products, the GGN label will help the retailer to further demonstrate its commitment to responsible farming on store shelves. Alejandro Martínez Berriochoa, Health and Sustainability Director at Eroski, commented on the decision to adopt the GGN label in the fruit and vegetable category:

“At EROSKI we work to permanently improve the environmental and social sustainability standards of all the processes of the value chain, from the origin of production to store operations. The promotion of a more sustainable diet is part of our 10 Health and Sustainability Commitments”

360-degree communication boosts responsible farming visibility  

As part of a wider communication strategy on responsible farming, EROSKI is offering consumers a 360-degree approach, which includes not only the GGN label logo on product packaging, but also a multimedia campaign and in-store promotion materials.  

In addition to this, the GGN label portal will be further promoted by Eroski, enabling consumers to trace products back to their roots. Every producer with GLOBALG.A.P. certification is registered in the public database and identified by a unique 13-digit GLOBALG.A.P. Number (GGN). The GGN opens up all the relevant traceability information for online verification. 

The GGN Label team have worked with EROSKI on several communication efforts in the past, and this collaboration demonstrates how retailers and certification schemes can join forces to publicize supply chain transparency and responsible farming practices.