IFA Urges Fair Trade For Farmers

Business & Finance - Farming & Fisheries

Tuesday, 23 March 2010 14:00

Written by Mark Dunphy

IFA President John Bryan says he is looking forward to holding a meeting with the former European Commissioner David Byrne, who has been appointed as facilitator for the Code of Practice for the grocery sector.

Mr Bryan said he hoped the appointment of David Byrne by the Tanaiste Mary Coughlan would speed up the process of implementing legislation that would address the breakdown in the food supply chain.  He added: “there is a real urgency about ensuring equity for farmers in the food supply chain. There is a major imbalance between retailers and primary producers, who are being forced to operate below the cost of production. The role of the new facilitator should not delay the introduction of a statutory Code of Practice that must regulate the retail sector and bring about a change in the enforcement of competition policy.”

The IFA President said, “The new statutory Code of Practice promised by the Government must enshrine the principle of fair trade for farmers in the grocery trade by providing a means for the more equitable share-out of the consumer price across the food chain.” In particular, IFA is proposing that retailers are required to report details of their profitability in this country, as well as the outlawing of unsustainable practices including ‘hello money’, ‘pay to play money’, below-cost selling and forcing suppliers to fund retail price reductions. Other proposals cover proper labelling and the auditing of commitments to source Irish products.”