Oxfam, FTAO, IFOAM-EU and FOE Europe welcome this move and call on the European Parliament and the Council to strengthen the Commission’s proposal.
Oxfam’s EU Economic Justice Policy Lead, Marc-Olivier Herman, said:
“Nobody should suffer to stock our supermarket shelves, yet too many small farmers in poor countries producing food for European supermarkets are struggling to make ends meet. This proposal could help them get a fairer deal for their produce. Women farmers in precarious conditions are worst affected by unfair trading practices, including low wages, irregular work, unsafe working conditions and lack of social protection. It is vital EU action delivers for them first and foremost.
“The proposal enables small and medium-sized food producers, wherever they are based, to anonymously complain about abusive practices of large European buyers. The fact that the Commission proposes equal treatment of both EU and non-EU food producers is very positive.”
Fair Trade Advocacy Office’s Executive Director, Sergi Corbalan, said:
“This is an important first step to eradicate unfair trading practices in our food supply chain. The European Parliament and member states must now move fast to improve the Commission’s proposal. The EU must ensure that the most vulnerable actors in the supply chain have access to a complaint mechanism and allow complaints against all companies importing food into the EU.”
IFOAM EU’s Director, Eduardo Cuoco, said:
“Fairness is a key principle of organic agriculture, and IFOAM EU welcomes this Commission’s proposal as a first step towards ensuring fair prices for producers.”
Friends of the Earth Europe’s Food & Agriculture Campaigner, Stanka Becheva, said:
“A small number of retailers control big parts of the food market in Europe. Although we welcome a legal framework to strengthen the position of farmers, we want to see complementary measures to support direct sales and short food supply chains, which bring the most for farmers, consumers and the environment.”
