Amsterdam, Netherlands – June 25, 2025
Ever wondered what true pricing looks like in practice? March brought another milestone in a movement that’s gaining momentum. During True Price Week (17–23 March), our partners Odin and Ekoplaza ran the very first in‑store pilot on organic bananas, and the outcome made a strong case.
Why bananas?
They are Europe’s top‑selling fruit, yet decades of price competition have driven social abuses and environmental damage in producer countries. Certifications such as Organic and Fairtrade help, but low retail prices still push growers toward cheap fossil energy, migrant labor, and depleted soils.
Our solution:
A multi‑year project that channels extra revenue straight back to the farms. Together with Ekoplaza, Odin, BIONANA.org, Stiftelsen, FairMatch Support, and two farmer groups (APPBOSA in Peru and BANAMIEL in the Dominican Republic) we created an innovative revolving fund. This isn’t charity, though, it’s a financial model that offers long-term, structural support and is repaid through future improvements in productivity, quality, and income, so the support keeps working long after the campaign ends.
Some of the investments that the fund enables are:
- Drip irrigation systems to reduce water use by over 50%.
- Replacement of aging plants to improve yield and quality.
- Climate-smart farming practices to boost income and protect nature.
True Price Week by the Numbers:
- €0.50 temporary price increase per kilo
Shoppers voluntarily paid a little extra for their organic bananas, making the hidden social and environmental costs visible at the checkout. - €22,393.67 raised in just 7 days
This was the amount raised between the two stores. Every extra cent went directly into the revolving fund to support sustainable investments by banana farmers. - Nearly 20% increase in banana sales
Instead of slowing sales, the campaign inspired more purchases, showing that customers are willing to support fairer food systems.
What are the takeaways?
“We see that more and more companies are embracing true pricing,” said Maurits Appeldoorn, Manager True Price. “This not only leads to sustainability but also improvements in returns (higher revenues and quality) and ultimately in reducing costs.”
Odin’s Head of Source & Supply Wouter Wezenbeek confirmed the enthusiasm: “we’re not done yet — we’ll definitely continue with more True Price campaigns. […] It’s also amazing to see that our customers bought nearly 20% more bananas during the campaign week. That really shows they support this True Price initiative!”
Ekoplaza’s Quality Manager Steven IJzerman agreed and highlighted the fund’s long‑term value: “By investing locally, […] we prevent the entire chain from increasing the price of organic bananas further in the long term. This fund allows our local growers to innovate for lasting change.”
What’s next?
The revolving fund is now live, and the first drip‑irrigation installations are being scoped. We will report back on farm‑level results later this year.
For questions about this project & how to get involved, reach out to Maurits at maurits@trueprice.org.
You can also read the perspectives of our partners Odin and Ekoplaza (on the campaign and the results).
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