Tackling unfair trading practices in food chain top priority for new co-operative Chairman

New Chairman of EU co-operative Copa & Cogeca's Food Chain Working Party, Joe Healy
New Chairman of EU co-operative Copa & Cogeca's Food Chain Working Party, Joe Healy

The new Chairman of EU co-operative Copa & Cogeca's Food Chain Working Party has made tackling unfair trading practices in the food chain top priority.

Chairman Joe Healy said: "Farmers’ incomes across Europe are being constantly squeezed to unsustainable levels.

"There is a big imbalance of power between the different actors in the food chain.

"This, combined with perpetual unfair trading practices puts farmers – the weakest link in this chain – in an extremely difficult situation where, quite often, farm-gate prices do not even cover farmers’ production costs.

"A top priority for me is to bring balance in the food chain and ensure fair margins for producers.

"The recent Commission report on unfair trading practices from January failed to recommend action at EU level for problems found in all Member States.

"We need to have legislation at EU level that combined with voluntary codes of practice can redress the balance and ensure fairness and transparency in the functioning of the food supply chain.

"The recent vote in European Parliament’s IMCO Committee calls for legislation at EU level to be introduced to curb these unfair trading practices.

"It is vital to have a change in business ethics. It is not acceptable that people can gain financially from unethical and unfair action.

"I will fight for what I believe is fair for farmers and right for society.

"I will continue the work of my predecessor Eddie Downey and will work with the working party to convince the European Institutions and other stakeholders of the importance of having a fair, transparent and functioning food supply chain for the benefit of the consumers and farmers alike.

"It is crucial to work on this so that we can see some real returns for farmers on the ground."

Mr Healy is a dairy and cattle farmer from Athenry, Co. Galway and new President of the Irish Farmers Association IFA.

He will be supported by Gabriel Trenzado from the Spanish Cooperative Association and Ruth Mason from the National Farmers Union of England and Wales who were elected last week as the Vice Chairpersons of the Working Party.

Mr Gabriel Trenzado is the Director for EU affairs with the Spanish Agri-Food cooperatives and has been directly involved with the activities that led to the introduction of legislation on the food chain into Spanish law as well as the Code of Good Practices agreed with all the food chain stakeholders.

Ms Ruth Mason is NFU’s Chief Food Chain advisor with much experience both in the agricultural and retail sectors.