NFU seeks to reduce abuse in food supply chain
“They cannot endure this any longer. We need a cultural change in business ethics. We can no longer accept that those misbehaving stand to gain financially from their actions.
“Copa could not agree with the other stakeholders on a purely voluntary framework to implement and enforce these principles of good practice. Experience has shown us, in various Member States, that a voluntary only system does not work. That is the reason why several Member States – currently 20 of them – have or are about to adopt legislation aimed at curbing unfair trading practices and improving the functioning of the food chain. They are also looking at robust enforcement mechanisms based on an independent third party adjudicator that can receive and act upon anonymous complaints, as well as applying sanctions when rules are breached.
“I would like to stress that a competitive food supply chain in the EU can only be achieved if all of its links are sustainable in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a well-functioning Single Market. A well-functioning and non-fragmented Single Market must be the main priority if we want to improve the competitiveness of the food supply chain.
“Farmers need to receive fair prices for their produce and work together with their cooperatives and other processing companies to produce high quality, high value, nutritious food for the consumers both in the EU and in Third Countries. This cannot be done without research, innovation and, most of all, the involvement of all links in the food chain."
He hopes that with new practices the country can make each part of the food supply chain more sustainable and in the end create a fairer market for everyone involved in the process.
source: nfuonline.com
