Fair prices need a strong political framework
Berlin, February 2020. The day before yesterday the meeting with retailers took place in the Federal Chancellery. The chairman of the Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BÖLW), Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein, comments: "For decades, agricultural policy and agriculture have made competitiveness on the global agricultural markets a guiding principle. The consequences are rock-bottom prices and the economic end for artisanal food processors and farms. This decline cannot be halted by appeals to consumers and retailers to please pay higher prices. Because they fade away on markets with anonymous mass-produced goods without any effect.
To change that, you need a change of direction: politics and the food industry have to reorient themselves towards a quality strategy for food.
A constantly growing number of customers who are willing to pay reasonable prices for quality and good manufacturing conditions show how this can be achieved. They choose organic food - or fair trade products. If, as is the case with organic, it can be seen that attention is paid to the protection of the environment, animals and climate during production and at the same time there is trust that the purchase serves to secure the livelihood of farms, higher prices can also be enforced.
Politics can create framework conditions that increase the quality of production – something we all depend on anyway in view of the crises surrounding biodiversity, climate or water. However, it must ensure that domestic quality production is maintained through effective foreign trade protection - this is what Mercosur currently has to do. The considerations in the EU to use such instruments as part of the "New Green Deal" open up an opportunity that must be seized. In addition, funding instruments must be used to strengthen ecological and regional food processing.
Many food processors and traders in the organic food industry show how fair treatment within the value chain can succeed. With long-term, reliable supply contracts and the joint development of high quality standards, they ensure economic stability and secure jobs in rural areas.”
The BÖLW is the leading association of German producers, processors and retailers of organic food and, as an umbrella organization, represents the interests of organic farming and the food industry in Germany. With organic food and drinks, more than 40.000 organic farms turn over 10.91 billion euros annually. The BÖLW members are: Working group of ecologically committed grocers and druggists, association of organic food manufacturers, Bioland, Biokreis, Biopark, Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren, Demeter, Ecoland, ECOVIN, GÄA, interest group of organic markets, Naturland, Reformhaus®eG and association Ökohöfe.
