2nd meeting of Thematic Group on Strengthening the position of farmers in the Organic Food Supply Chain - Report

The 2nd meeting of the Thematic Group on Strengthening the position of farmers in the Organic Food Supply Chain allowed the exchange of knowledge and experiences to identify ways to strengthen the role of the organic producers in the organic value chain through cooperation.

Experiences from Luxembourg, Sweden and Denmark all pointed out that, while public support (e.g. certification costs) helps, this needs to go hand-in-hand with consumer demand on the market. Demand will continue to be the most significant stimulus vis-à-vis achieving EU targets to increase organic land coverage.

Members discussed opportunities for targeted actions that could best support organic supply chain cooperation and considered how such actions could strengthen the role of producers in the supply chain. Participants appreciated the potential for public procurement systems to prioritise organic uptake; labelling and information campaigns; and the role of avisory services to build business capacity and boost skills.

Concluding remarks stressed the role of cooperation. Food forums, city and regional food systems, local policy co-creation, market transparency, and online platforms facilitating trade and capacity were all additional ideas for building the critical mass needed to help positively sway market signals.