EU agriculture ministers meet in Bratislava to discuss farmers' position in the food supply chain and unfair trade practices

Bratislava (13 September 2016) - Slovak Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matečná received fellow agriculture and rural development ministers from the other EU Member States for an informal AGRIFISH meeting in Bratislava. The ministers discussed the strengthening of the position of farmers in the food supply chain.

In recent years, globalising processes in the world and in the European market have resulted in significant structural changes in the food supply chain, and primary agricultural producers have gradually become the weakest link in the chain, with the least bargaining power. An incomparably greater degree of globalisation and integration at other levels of the food supply chain exposes farmers to considerable risks of market instability and price volatility.

“It is necessary that we let farmers and producers get a fair deal on the margins. This is the only way to ensure that consumers have access to quality food at a reasonable price throughout the European Union and to ensure food self-sufficiency in the Union and the competitiveness of our agriculture and agricultural producers,” said Gabriela Matečná. The price formation process is currently largely lacking in transparency, there is little organisation among agricultural producers and trade relations are distorted by unfair trading practices. Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, states that: “As we are working to address the agricultural crisis in the short term, we are well advised to keep looking at the longer term solutions that can structurally improve the situation of farmers.”

The majority of the member states agreed on a unified, EU-wide response to unfair trading practices in the food supply chain. “Farmers are producing our food and thus determining our health. They must have fair trade conditions throughout the common market,” emphasised Gabriela Matečná.

Speakers at the meeting also included the Chair of the AGRI Committee of the European Parliament, Czeslaw Siekierski, the Secretary-General of COPA COGECA, Pekka Juhana Pessonen, the President of COGECA, Nils-Erik Tomas Magnusson, the President of CEJA, Alan Jagoe, and the Director-General of DG AGRI, Jerzy Plewa.