In Europe, efforts are being made to increase the equitability and sustainability of food supply chains. Just days ago in England, NFU rapporteurs on the union’s horticulture and potatoes board revealed some of the findings of their ongoing investigation into reported abuses of suppliers to large retailers.

The union officials explained they had found evidence that power imbalance in the supply chain had resulted in abuses of producers, including supermarkets reneging on pre-arranged production deals for brassicas earlier this year, without paying suppliers for crops that had been grown to order. The union is calling on the government to act quickly in instating a supermarket ombudsperson to bring an end to such treatment.  

European farming bodies have suggested that shorter supply chains, radical examples of which are those forged by Greek farmers opting to self-organise and sell direct to their local communities, and collective organisation are effective methods of balancing power and minimising waste, thus boosting sustainability.

Commission meeting on sustainability of short supply chains

Today in Brussels, Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos called a meeting in which he discussed methods of shortening supply chains and increasing support for local agriculture to develop more sustainable and resilient ‘food webs’. Although he said the concept has much potential, Mr Ciolos warned “the subject suffers from both contradictions and prejudices.”

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The commissioner said that, despite a lack of research into the creation of local food webs, “all the available studies concur that there is high consumer demand for local products. This was highlighted once again by surveys conducted in the UK and Germany as recently as last year.” He said that, despite this evidence, there has been a lack of will amongst politicians and businesses to strengthen communities in this way, but declared, “Short supply chains are a key element in our overall strategy to restore farmers’ value added by encouraging them not to put all their eggs in one basket - that of the few players in the supermarket business.”

According to recent data, only 15 per cent of EU farms sell over half of their produce locally, although the prominence of farm shops, local distribution schemes, community supported agriculture initiatives and farmers’ markets has risen dramatically, all offering viable and equitable alternatives to large retailers, who have seen their margins recede slightly in recent months.

Ciolos said that this model has been tarred as “uncompetitive” by some politicians and business leaders and the commissioner lamented that he has been accused of catering only for Europe’s richest by supporting shortened supply chains. However, food policy experts, who have recommended bolstering support for local production and introducing initiatives with a focus on social justice, have criticised the celebration of competition.

Tim Lang, an eminent professor of food policy has said the UK government must look beyond its desire for growth and instead focus on knowledge transfer and supporting sustainable, healthy food production if it is serious about achieving ‘food security’ and creating a ‘green economy.’

Local food creates more jobs, reduces emissions and has support of European Public

The European public has been shown to support environmentally sensitive, local food production and Dacian Ciolos said initiatives that harmonise with this view will prove important. He said, “I am convinced that ‘local food supply services’ have tremendous potential. They present a modern view of our relationship to food as well as of farming and its social and environmental efficiency.”

The agriculture commissioner continued, “Not only do they eliminate the need for long-haul transport, they also boost local economies and empower consumers to play an active part in the economic development of their local area. The employment figures speak for themselves. I have been shown a study of 26 farms involved in direct selling around Paris. These 26 farms alone generate a total of 170 permanent and 200 seasonal jobs, which is far more than conventional farms.”

He also contested the view that smaller, community-focused farms are ‘elitist’ in appeal. The commissioner cited an Italian study which showed over half of all Italians made purchases through short supply chains in 2008 and used the example of the UK, where the number of farmers’ markets grew from just one in 1997 to 7,500 in 2011.

The commissioner also mentioned the radical Greek potato farmers and their communities, who, by interacting directly, have been able to mutually support one another and secure more affordable food for the community and better returns for farmers. The range of products handled in this way has steadily grown in Greece.

Mr Ciolos stressed that any farm size can benefit from shortened supply chains and local engagement; he maintained “We need all forms of farming,” though he went on to state plainly, “Obviously, small farms tend to be the most dynamic and most creative in their use of short supply chains, due to their reactivity.”

Difficulties of implementation

Although he remained committed to his vision, Ciolos acknowledged it will be complicated to achieve; he called for more investment to enable farmers to “relearn the sales trade, [which] a certain type of agricultural policy, focused entirely on the markets, made them forget,” and increased support for the dedicated buildings and activities required for on-farm processing or direct selling.

Nevertheless, the commissioner assured that, through investment delivered by Common Agricultural Policy reform and commitment from politicians and farmers, he remains “convinced that selling a larger part of agricultural produce locally will bring concrete solutions to many of the challenges facing our society despite these difficulties.”

Support for commissioner’s calls

The Commissioner is encouraging debate on the feasibility of encouraging shortened supply chains throughout Europe, including within individual member states. His overtures were welcomed by farm groups across the EU today.

European farming union Copa-Cogeca announced its support for the commissioner. The union has suggested farmers organise into cooperatives to exercise more influence and named 2012 ‘year of the cooperative’ to promote this approach.

Union representatives have joined the commissioner in calling for more support for farmers, who they claim are currently feeling the pressure of rising input costs and low returns “since they are up against the power of a handful of supermarkets.”

The union’s Vice-President, Peter Vrisk said that, although The EU Commission has proposed some measures to help farmers and cooperatives, more needs to be done to create resilient local networks. He elaborated, “In order to overcome the difficulties faced by producers and producer groups interested in such initiatives, we believe it is important for other specific provisions to be made at EU level, particularly in the field of promotion and in Rural Development Policy. These aspects must be taken into account as part of the discussions on the future of the CAP post 2013”.

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