The European Parliament in Strasbourg adopted a report today on fair revenues for farmers: a better functioning of the food supply chain. 

Marian Harkin (Independent, Ireland) ALDE's shadow rapporteur for this report, believes that quite simply farmers are not receiving a fair return for what they produce.  "European Commission research shows that since 1995 the only actors in the food supply chain whose share of the retail price is decreasing are the farmers.  Apart from being manifestly unfair, if farmers don't earn a fair return for their produce, they will go out of business and the EU will become even more dependent on food imports. "

Marit Paulsen (Folkpartiet liberalerna, Sweden) and vice Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee believes that competitiveness is the key to solving this anomaly "We must increase farmers' competitiveness right at the top of the chain.  A lot of our food chain is globalised, including the input industry, and so farmers need to be able to compete in a global marketplace."

This is a sentiment Marian Harkin also echoes "The Commission needs to investigate and where necessary take action against anti-competitive practices.  There is not doubt that contractual imbalances associated with unequal bargaining power have a negative effect on competitiveness in the food supply chain, particularly for  the smaller scale producers who are being squeezed out."

Mrs Paulsen concluded "If we want our countryside to survive and to be vibrant and we wish to have a good quality food supply chain in Europe,  protect our cultural heritage and maintain high animal welfare standards then the farmers must get more for what they produce. "