Press Releases

Concentration in the agrifood chain

Having an innovative “farmer centred approach” to restructure markets

Windsor, 28 September 2006 – “There is an urgent need to have a new “farmer centred” approach in agrifood chain systems. Farmers will judge their involvement in the process on how they can get real benefit to their net incomes. We will never improve the marketing chain without involving the key actors: farmers!” said the President of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) Jack Wilkinson to researchers gathering in Windsor for a mid-term review of the Regoverning Markets programme, managed by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). “IFAP’s goal is to improve social and economic benefits to farm families and we judge all our activities and relations with partners on this basis” he said to researchers.

Over the last 10 years, there has been a rapid rise of supermarkets and a growing concentration in global agri-food chain markets. As further concentration by these corporations takes place, it becomes critical for farmers in all countries to get organized in order to meet the challenge.  “There is a growing power imbalance and we have to react urgently! The future of family farming depends on it.   National governments have a responsibility to address this situation quickly. We need a dramatic commitment from governments to rebalance the market to address the need of empowering farmers” said Wilkinson.

IFAP is asking researchers to include a more farmers’ focus approach in their analysis. “We need facts, numbers and statistics on market instruments to see what works for farmers under different conditions,” said Wilkinson. “We will then be better equipped to help farmers to organize themselves to face the challenge of market concentration.   Researchers can support us by providing serious analysis on the situation in different countries, and we will in return do everything possible to collaborate in this matter with them.”  IFAP is strongly encouraging researchers to be more focused on national projects, working with national farmers’ organisations for better efficiency and results. “Your work is important because the problem is global, but we need particular solutions for specific countries.  Markets concentration is a big issue for farmers in developed countries as well as in developing countries; even though they need more resources to be better organized to meet standards and improve their skills to better negotiate. 

Farmers need the skills to negotiate in the market place but also a system where they are more equal partners with the big corporations. Farmers are concerned as to whether the national production systems including the smallholders will secure and sustain their place within national and regional markets. Farmers need good regulatory frameworks so they can compete.

“Farmers need space in the market place, so they are asking governments for regulatory framework that enable them to recover local market as well as be able to compete on world markets. Fair access to markets and fair prices for our products, this is all we are asking” concluded Wilkinson.