We have seen farmer protests spilling on to the streets across Europe in recent days. With the backing of strong public support, French farmers have been the most militant. They have wreaked havoc across the country’s road network in response to low milk and meat prices.
Even in Britain, where farm organisations have to placate a less supportive public mindset, sporadic protests have taken place. Although dairy farmers have led the campaign, there is growing unrest among Welsh lamb producers at unsustainable prices.
With the vast majority of Irish food exports either traded into these regions or transited through en route to other European markets, the hostile mood of French and British farmers towards imports and the desire to nationalise markets should not be ignored.
The strong political links that exist at ministerial level and across the various farm organisations will hopefully ensure common sense prevails. A solution to the income challenge on family farms will not be found through EU farmers turning against each other. In fact, the opposite is true: EU farmers need to move together with one voice.
For this to happen, we need to be clear on exactly what the problem is. It is not the inter-trading of food products within member states that is responsible for the squeeze on farm income. The concentrated network of retailers and input suppliers that the European Commission is allowing to operate unregulated at either side of the farm gate is where attention should be focused.
The fact that the price EU consumers are paying for dairy products has not shifted in line with the 20-30% drop in farmgate milk prices clearly demonstrates the ability of the retailer to absorb farmer margins.
The responsibility to deliver a set of united, cogent policies on behalf of EU farmers clearly lies with COPA and COGECA. Both committees have a remit to represent farm organisations and co-operatives with one voice in Brussels. Unfortunately, their effectiveness is becoming increasingly questionable – to such an extent that we are seeing a growing trend towards farm organisations splintering to form strategic partnerships and, in some cases, secure the services of a team of former European Commission officials to formulate and progress policy positions.
The ability of this scatter-gun approach to secure the necessary changes at EU level, while perhaps more effective than the current model, is clearly not in the best long-term interests of EU farmers.
EU farmers need a mechanism where a policy position on key strategic challenges facing the sector can be presented to the Commission with one united voice. Yes, there will always be national differences, but there are many anomalies that are common to all:
Expecting EU family farms to compete in a global market while complying with high cost regulations specific to the EU. Competing with imported products that are produced to standards which would be illegal in the EU. Trying to carve out a margin as a micro business squeezed between a concentrated network of unregulated input suppliers and retailers. There is an opportunity now for farmers to ensure that the current market challenges are used to drive maximum change at EU level and not merely a platform from which to seek a temporary respite until the next crisis.
To achieve this, European farmers must unite. Retailers and input suppliers will only welcome the distraction of farmers fighting among each other as they seek to further increase their margins.
We have seen farmer protests spilling on to the streets across Europe in recent days. With the backing of strong public support, French farmers have been the most militant. They have wreaked havoc across the country’s road network in response to low milk and meat prices.
Even in Britain, where farm organisations have to placate a less supportive public mindset, sporadic protests have taken place. Although dairy farmers have led the campaign, there is growing unrest among Welsh lamb producers at unsustainable prices.
With the vast majority of Irish food exports either traded into these regions or transited through en route to other European markets, the hostile mood of French and British farmers towards imports and the desire to nationalise markets should not be ignored.
The strong political links that exist at ministerial level and across the various farm organisations will hopefully ensure common sense prevails. A solution to the income challenge on family farms will not be found through EU farmers turning against each other. In fact, the opposite is true: EU farmers need to move together with one voice.
For this to happen, we need to be clear on exactly what the problem is. It is not the inter-trading of food products within member states that is responsible for the squeeze on farm income. The concentrated network of retailers and input suppliers that the European Commission is allowing to operate unregulated at either side of the farm gate is where attention should be focused.
The fact that the price EU consumers are paying for dairy products has not shifted in line with the 20-30% drop in farmgate milk prices clearly demonstrates the ability of the retailer to absorb farmer margins.
The responsibility to deliver a set of united, cogent policies on behalf of EU farmers clearly lies with COPA and COGECA. Both committees have a remit to represent farm organisations and co-operatives with one voice in Brussels. Unfortunately, their effectiveness is becoming increasingly questionable – to such an extent that we are seeing a growing trend towards farm organisations splintering to form strategic partnerships and, in some cases, secure the services of a team of former European Commission officials to formulate and progress policy positions.
The ability of this scatter-gun approach to secure the necessary changes at EU level, while perhaps more effective than the current model, is clearly not in the best long-term interests of EU farmers.
EU farmers need a mechanism where a policy position on key strategic challenges facing the sector can be presented to the Commission with one united voice. Yes, there will always be national differences, but there are many anomalies that are common to all:
Expecting EU family farms to compete in a global market while complying with high cost regulations specific to the EU. Competing with imported products that are produced to standards which would be illegal in the EU. Trying to carve out a margin as a micro business squeezed between a concentrated network of unregulated input suppliers and retailers. There is an opportunity now for farmers to ensure that the current market challenges are used to drive maximum change at EU level and not merely a platform from which to seek a temporary respite until the next crisis.
To achieve this, European farmers must unite. Retailers and input suppliers will only welcome the distraction of farmers fighting among each other as they seek to further increase their margins.
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