Dutch government sustains human rights complaint; Hannaford parent company agrees to mediation

In 2025, Migrant Justice submitted an international human rights complaint with the Dutch government over abuses on dairy farms supplying Hannaford Supermarket. After a year of investigation and deliberation, the National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct in the Netherlands has concluded that the complaint should move forward. In response, Hannaford parent company Ahold Delhaize has agreed to enter into mediation with Migrant Justice.

This major breakthrough in the Milk with Dignity campaign is just the latest blow against Hannaford, as the grocery chain attempts to stave off criticism over abuses in its dairy supply chain. Farmworkers have denounced the low pay and poor treatment on farms supplying Hannaford-brand milk, and have urged the company to take responsibility by joining the Milk with Dignity Program. As consumers have added their voices to the call for action, the campaign has gained momentum, with a recent picket resulting in a Hannaford store shutting its doors hours early.

Now, a Dutch governmental body has sustained Migrant Justice’s complaint regarding Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize’s violations of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The 76-page filing includes extensive documentation of human rights violations in Ahold’s U.S. dairy supply chain, as well as significant evidence of Ahold’s failure to exercise due diligence to stop abuses against farmworkers. The complaint points to Ahold and Hannaford’s false solutions – including a hotline that fails to investigate calls, and employer self-assessments that fail to uncover violations – and urges the corporation to join Milk with Dignity.

The Dutch National Contact Point (NCP) for Responsible Business Conduct – a unit of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague – investigated the complaint for 13 months before issuing its “Initial Assessment.” In that assessment, the NCP finds that Migrant Justice’s complaint meets the body’s criteria to warrant further examination. While the memorandum notes that an initial assessment does not signify a decision on the complaint’s merits, the decision allows the NCP to proceed with further investigation and a final determination on Ahold’s potential violations of OECD Guidelines.

In its initial assessment, the NCP offered to mediate a dialogue between Migrant Justice and Ahold. Both parties have accepted, and meetings will soon begin. For years, Migrant Justice has urged the company to sit down with farmworkers, to hear directly about conditions on farms producing Hannaford-brand milk, and to learn about the Milk with Dignity Program. After years of campaigning, and through the intervention of the Dutch government, the $100 billion corporation has finally agreed to come to the table.

But this is only the first step: farmworkers don’t just want words; they demand action. Every day that Hannaford and Ahold delay joining Milk with Dignity is a day that workers are exposed to abusive conditions, inhumane housing, sub-minimum wages, preventable injuries, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Hannaford: it’s time to get with the Program!