Rewrite the provided article:
Belgian food companies are going through an unprecedented crisis: their profit margin has reached its lowest level in 15 years, weighed down by energy costs, labor costs, and tense relations with supermarkets. The sector is calling for urgent action.
In 2022, the net profits of food companies represented only 2.32% of their turnover, a decline of 36% compared to 2019. Feviathe federation of the Belgian food industry, emphasizes that “all economic indicators are in the red, or almost”.
This historic decline in margins reflects a combination of unfavorable factors:
- Commodity prices and high inflation, which reached 5.5% in October 2023
- Household consumption down 6.8% over the year 2023
- A drop in sales of 3.3% in volume over the first six months of the year, partially offset by price increases
Competitiveness at half mast
Faced with their foreign competitors, Belgian companies are losing ground. Energy and labor costs, particularly high in Belgium, weigh heavily.
The gap in wage costs with neighboring countries, which had been narrowing for years, rose to 25.4%.
This increase is attributed to the automatic indexation of salaries and inflation, two mechanisms which could not always be reflected in sales prices.
In addition, the relationship with supermarkets has become more tense. The latter buy less and less Belgian products, preferring European suppliers to exploit economies of scale.
The share of Belgian food products on the shelves has increased to 61% and is expected to fall further in 2024.
A waste tax that worries
The sector will also have to absorb a new financial burden: a tax on litter in all EU member states.
In Belgium, this tax is three times higher than elsewhere, representing an estimated bill of 112 million euros.
This additional cost could further aggravate the difficulties of businesses and make Belgian products less competitive.
A cry for help before the formation of a new government
Since 2023, Belgians have been spending more and more abroad for their food shopping, with an amount that has exceeded half a billion euros, compared to 250 to 300 million previously.
While a new government must be formed at the federal level, Fevia is sounding the alarm.
The federation is calling for measures to reduce cost gaps with neighboring countries, support companies in their negotiations with supermarkets, and reduce taxation.
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Belgian food companies are going through an unprecedented crisis: their profit margin has reached its lowest level in 15 years, weighed down by energy costs, labor costs, and tense relations with supermarkets. The sector is calling for urgent action.
In 2022, the net profits of food companies represented only 2.32% of their turnover, a decline of 36% compared to 2019. Feviathe federation of the Belgian food industry, emphasizes that “all economic indicators are in the red, or almost”.
This historic decline in margins reflects a combination of unfavorable factors:
- Commodity prices and high inflation, which reached 5.5% in October 2023
- Household consumption down 6.8% over the year 2023
- A drop in sales of 3.3% in volume over the first six months of the year, partially offset by price increases
Competitiveness at half mast
Faced with their foreign competitors, Belgian companies are losing ground. Energy and labor costs, particularly high in Belgium, weigh heavily.
The gap in wage costs with neighboring countries, which had been narrowing for years, rose to 25.4%.
This increase is attributed to the automatic indexation of salaries and inflation, two mechanisms which could not always be reflected in sales prices.
In addition, the relationship with supermarkets has become more tense. The latter buy less and less Belgian products, preferring European suppliers to exploit economies of scale.
The share of Belgian food products on the shelves has increased to 61% and is expected to fall further in 2024.
A waste tax that worries
The sector will also have to absorb a new financial burden: a tax on litter in all EU member states.
In Belgium, this tax is three times higher than elsewhere, representing an estimated bill of 112 million euros.
This additional cost could further aggravate the difficulties of businesses and make Belgian products less competitive.
A cry for help before the formation of a new government
Since 2023, Belgians have been spending more and more abroad for their food shopping, with an amount that has exceeded half a billion euros, compared to 250 to 300 million previously.
While a new government must be formed at the federal level, Fevia is sounding the alarm.
The federation is calling for measures to reduce cost gaps with neighboring countries, support companies in their negotiations with supermarkets, and reduce taxation.
, while maintaining the same key facts, dates, and quotes. The new text should feel completely fresh, naturally flowing, and as if written from scratch by a professional human news editor.
Retain all people’s declarations in quotation marks (” “) exactly as they appear in
Belgian food companies are going through an unprecedented crisis: their profit margin has reached its lowest level in 15 years, weighed down by energy costs, labor costs, and tense relations with supermarkets. The sector is calling for urgent action.
In 2022, the net profits of food companies represented only 2.32% of their turnover, a decline of 36% compared to 2019. Feviathe federation of the Belgian food industry, emphasizes that “all economic indicators are in the red, or almost”.
This historic decline in margins reflects a combination of unfavorable factors:
- Commodity prices and high inflation, which reached 5.5% in October 2023
- Household consumption down 6.8% over the year 2023
- A drop in sales of 3.3% in volume over the first six months of the year, partially offset by price increases
Competitiveness at half mast
Faced with their foreign competitors, Belgian companies are losing ground. Energy and labor costs, particularly high in Belgium, weigh heavily.
The gap in wage costs with neighboring countries, which had been narrowing for years, rose to 25.4%.
This increase is attributed to the automatic indexation of salaries and inflation, two mechanisms which could not always be reflected in sales prices.
In addition, the relationship with supermarkets has become more tense. The latter buy less and less Belgian products, preferring European suppliers to exploit economies of scale.
The share of Belgian food products on the shelves has increased to 61% and is expected to fall further in 2024.
A waste tax that worries
The sector will also have to absorb a new financial burden: a tax on litter in all EU member states.
In Belgium, this tax is three times higher than elsewhere, representing an estimated bill of 112 million euros.
This additional cost could further aggravate the difficulties of businesses and make Belgian products less competitive.
A cry for help before the formation of a new government
Since 2023, Belgians have been spending more and more abroad for their food shopping, with an amount that has exceeded half a billion euros, compared to 250 to 300 million previously.
While a new government must be formed at the federal level, Fevia is sounding the alarm.
The federation is calling for measures to reduce cost gaps with neighboring countries, support companies in their negotiations with supermarkets, and reduce taxation.
, incorporating them naturally into the rewritten text.
Preserve all original HTML tags from
Belgian food companies are going through an unprecedented crisis: their profit margin has reached its lowest level in 15 years, weighed down by energy costs, labor costs, and tense relations with supermarkets. The sector is calling for urgent action.
In 2022, the net profits of food companies represented only 2.32% of their turnover, a decline of 36% compared to 2019. Feviathe federation of the Belgian food industry, emphasizes that “all economic indicators are in the red, or almost”.
This historic decline in margins reflects a combination of unfavorable factors:
- Commodity prices and high inflation, which reached 5.5% in October 2023
- Household consumption down 6.8% over the year 2023
- A drop in sales of 3.3% in volume over the first six months of the year, partially offset by price increases
Competitiveness at half mast
Faced with their foreign competitors, Belgian companies are losing ground. Energy and labor costs, particularly high in Belgium, weigh heavily.
The gap in wage costs with neighboring countries, which had been narrowing for years, rose to 25.4%.
This increase is attributed to the automatic indexation of salaries and inflation, two mechanisms which could not always be reflected in sales prices.
In addition, the relationship with supermarkets has become more tense. The latter buy less and less Belgian products, preferring European suppliers to exploit economies of scale.
The share of Belgian food products on the shelves has increased to 61% and is expected to fall further in 2024.
A waste tax that worries
The sector will also have to absorb a new financial burden: a tax on litter in all EU member states.
In Belgium, this tax is three times higher than elsewhere, representing an estimated bill of 112 million euros.
This additional cost could further aggravate the difficulties of businesses and make Belgian products less competitive.
A cry for help before the formation of a new government
Since 2023, Belgians have been spending more and more abroad for their food shopping, with an amount that has exceeded half a billion euros, compared to 250 to 300 million previously.
While a new government must be formed at the federal level, Fevia is sounding the alarm.
The federation is calling for measures to reduce cost gaps with neighboring countries, support companies in their negotiations with supermarkets, and reduce taxation.
, including those for images, photos, videos, embeds (e.g., Instagram, X/Twitter), and other multimedia elements, and ensure they are correctly positioned in the rewritten article.
Write with a human-like tone and style, avoiding repetitive phrasing, robotic patterns, or overly formal language. Use creative yet professional language, focusing on engaging and authentic storytelling.
Follow Associated Press (AP) guidelines for style, clarity, and professionalism, including proper use of numbers, punctuation, and attribution.
Be optimized for SEO, using structured HTML tags (H1, H2, H3) and adhering to Google’s E-E-A-T standards. Write a new, keyword-optimized headline that feels natural and engaging.
Exclude all references to the original source or publication, ensuring no identifiable details about
Belgian food companies are going through an unprecedented crisis: their profit margin has reached its lowest level in 15 years, weighed down by energy costs, labor costs, and tense relations with supermarkets. The sector is calling for urgent action.
In 2022, the net profits of food companies represented only 2.32% of their turnover, a decline of 36% compared to 2019. Feviathe federation of the Belgian food industry, emphasizes that “all economic indicators are in the red, or almost”.
This historic decline in margins reflects a combination of unfavorable factors:
- Commodity prices and high inflation, which reached 5.5% in October 2023
- Household consumption down 6.8% over the year 2023
- A drop in sales of 3.3% in volume over the first six months of the year, partially offset by price increases
Competitiveness at half mast
Faced with their foreign competitors, Belgian companies are losing ground. Energy and labor costs, particularly high in Belgium, weigh heavily.
The gap in wage costs with neighboring countries, which had been narrowing for years, rose to 25.4%.
This increase is attributed to the automatic indexation of salaries and inflation, two mechanisms which could not always be reflected in sales prices.
In addition, the relationship with supermarkets has become more tense. The latter buy less and less Belgian products, preferring European suppliers to exploit economies of scale.
The share of Belgian food products on the shelves has increased to 61% and is expected to fall further in 2024.
A waste tax that worries
The sector will also have to absorb a new financial burden: a tax on litter in all EU member states.
In Belgium, this tax is three times higher than elsewhere, representing an estimated bill of 112 million euros.
This additional cost could further aggravate the difficulties of businesses and make Belgian products less competitive.
A cry for help before the formation of a new government
Since 2023, Belgians have been spending more and more abroad for their food shopping, with an amount that has exceeded half a billion euros, compared to 250 to 300 million previously.
While a new government must be formed at the federal level, Fevia is sounding the alarm.
The federation is calling for measures to reduce cost gaps with neighboring countries, support companies in their negotiations with supermarkets, and reduce taxation.
remain.
Be between 800–1,200 words long, with clear subheadings for readability.
Provide only the final rewritten article text with all original HTML tags properly retained and integrated. Ensure the content reads naturally, as if written by a skilled human journalist, with no robotic tone or AI-like repetition. Do not include any notes, explanations, or commentary.
What actions are being proposed to help the Belgian food industry overcome these challenges?
Here are some keyword-optimized headline options that feel natural and engaging, based on the provided text:
**Focusing on the crisis:**
* **Belgian Food Industry in Crisis: Profits Plummet to 15-Year Low**
* **Supermarkets, Energy Costs Squeeze Belgian Food Companies**
* **Belgian Food Sector Sounds Alarm: “All Economic Indicators in the Red”**
**Highlighting the challenges:**
* **Belgium’s Food Industry Faces Perfect Storm: Inflation, Labor Costs, Supermarket Pressure**
* **Can Belgian Food Survive? Industry Battles High Costs and Foreign Competition**
* **”Made in Belgium” Food: Facing an Uncertain Future**
**Emphasizing the call for action:**
* **Belgian Food Industry Pleads for Help as Profits Dwindle**
* **Government Urged to Act as Belgian Food Sector Struggles to Stay Afloat**
* **Survival of Belgian Food Industry Hangs in the Balance**
Let me know if you’d like to explore other angles or have a specific tone in mind!
