IFA Submission on Food Supply Chain Looks for Retail Ombudsman and Price Transparency
IFA’s response to the EU Commission call for views on how to make the food supply chain fairer highlights the importance of a Retail Ombudsman and price transparency.
IFA President Joe Healy said it is widely accepted that a major imbalance exists in the food supply chain. This results in a situation where farmers are sometimes compelled to accept unreasonable conditions and prices that do no cover their costs or provide an economic return.
Today was the closing date for submissions as part of the Public Consultation.
IFA has been campaigning for an independent Retail Ombudsman similar to that of the UK. IFA believes that enforcement must be overseen by an Independent Regulator in each Member State. Any EU framework legislation must specifically set this out to ensure effective enforcement in each Member State.
“Price discovery and transparency is a key requirement to improve the overall functioning of a market, and improving the overall cooperation and understanding between stakeholders in the supply chain. The absence of a wholesale price reporting system for food produce is undermining the competitive functioning of the food supply chain.”
Joe Healy said he looked forward to the next phase of this campaign, which will see an EU-wide legislative approach, with proper enforcement mechanisms.