CSR in the Netherlands
1. CSR for schools
Kikid Booze: a Dutch example of a CSR project. For several years, the educational program Kikid Booze—officially part of the Kikid Foundation—has been running in the Netherlands. This foundation organizes various theater-based programs for schools. Kikid Booze is an initiative of STIVA (Foundation for Responsible Alcohol Consumption), modeled after numerous similar CSR programs run by alcohol producers across Europe. In 2024, STIVA provided €233,000 in sponsorship to the Kikid Foundation. SpiritsNL (the trade association for spirits) and beer producer Heineken actively promote the Kikid program on their websites[1].
On the website of Heineken: our partnership with KIKID
Translation:
Through the Foundation for Responsible Alcohol Consumption (STIVA), we partner with the Kikid Foundation. We are proud of this partnership, as we consistently see how effective this approach is in opening up discussions on social issues and how well it resonates with the world of young people. We fully support this initiative, enabling the Kikid Foundation to engage with even more young people in schools. https://www.heinekennederland.nl/nix18
The Kikid website lists many partners involved—to varying degrees—in the program’s implementation, such as municipalities and Municipal Health Services (GGDs). Consequently, it is not surprising that the alcohol industry is a key player behind Kikid Booze. Other Kikid programs address topics such as mental health, bullying, and social media. Kikid combines theater, education, discussion, and creative assignments, all delivered in a theatrical format by so-called youth role models. It targets special education as well as various levels of secondary l education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTogAbIItjw (in Dutch)
To promote Kikid Booze, STIVA offers schools a free online Kikid lesson about alcohol titled “Doe eens normaal” (“Act Normal”) and a letter for parents. STIVA also organizes meetings for parents.
STIVA offers the Kikid Booze theater performance as an additional, in-depth component. The formal objective of Kikid Booze is to raise awareness among young people about risks and to help them navigate personal boundaries and peer pressure. Kikid Booze can be performed at schools independently of the other Kikid program components.
Comments from an alcohol prevention expert who attended *Kikid Booze*:
- The program is unsuitable for the age group that received it this time (12- and 13-year-olds).
- Alcohol consumption features in every scene, potentially leading to the explicit normalization of alcohol use—as if it is an integral part of everything. Some authors got “terribly drunk,” and naturally, one shouldn’t go that far. This aligns with STIVA’s view that responsible alcohol consumption is normal and should therefore be implicitly promoted.
- No “young people” who consciously choose not to drink are given a voice; nor is there any information or discussion regarding alcohol abstinence. The specific health risks of alcohol consumption for users are not addressed.
- The young authors are enthusiastic and have no idea about the role of the industry actually behind the initiative. Schools are also “incredibly enthusiastic”; impactful images are shown, and the program sparks a conversation about alcohol. After the performance, students engage in a discussion with the actors.
- I have the impression that the schools themselves are unaware of the dubious funding and promotion by the alcohol industry.
2. CSR for academic students
STIVA (the Dutch Foundation for Responsible Alcohol Consumption)—the trade association representing the Dutch alcohol industry—organizes an annual seminar for members of Dutch student associations.
STIVA states that the aim of these seminars is to promote responsible alcohol consumption. This includes promoting practices such as “zebra drinking”: alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The underlying objective of these seminars is to strengthen commercial ties between student associations and the alcohol industry. In the Netherlands, there is a strong form of collaboration between student associations and beer breweries. Confidential financial contracts are concluded between the breweries and the associations’ boards, increasing the associations’ dependence on beer producers. These contracts involve exclusive sales rights and financial incentives linked to increased sales volume. The contracts are inaccessible even to the associations’ members. Research shows that financially invested stakeholders show little interest in addressing the impact of these contracts on student health, while those concerned about health issues lack insight into the contracts’ contents. Cited research: Frederique P. van den Heuvel, “Pouring Rights Contracts Between Student Associations and Beer Breweries in the Netherlands: A Qualitative Investigation of Stakeholders’ Views”; Master’s Thesis in Health Science: Nutrition and Health, 2024; UMC, University of Amsterdam.
3. The Dutch King showed his interest in Heineken
You might not call it CSR, but it is certainly an example of how the alcohol industry—in this case, Heineken—attempts to boost its public image. On June 12, 2025, King Willem-Alexander visited the so-called Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre to learn how Heineken’s alcohol-free beer is produced. Naturally, the press was invited to the event to share news of this royal reception with the Dutch public.
[1] https://kikid.nl/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Jaarrekening-2025-Stichting-Kikid.pdf