As we enter the festive season, we would like to look back on the year that was. With articles from different countries that were featured in our newsletter, we would like to highlight the important developments and events that have kept European dairy farmers active and engaged in 2024. The year that is coming to a close has shown once again that the European Milk Board and its member organisations remain committed to fighting for a fundamental reform of the dairy sector and ensuring fairer, cost-covering prices for producers, and that these demands remain as pressing and as relevant as before.

At the beginning of the year, European farmers protested en masse for fair prices and against the planned reduction in agricultural subsidies, excessive red tape, new environmental requirements stemming from the European Green Deal, EU free trade agreements with Mercosur and Ukraine, and cheap agricultural imports. Farmers expressed their anger through their actions and denounced the meagre prospects and lack of recognition for the farming profession with slogans such as “No farmers, no food”, “Fair price on the shelf, fair price on the farm” and “If farmers go bust, importing food will be a must”. Blockades in streets, tractor protests and other actions were staged across Europe. EMB members also made sure to organise a powerful symbolic action at the Paris International Agricultural Show (SIA), protested at an election campaign event of the German liberal party (FDP) with a real-life cow at the Gänsemarkt square in Hamburg, and organised postcard mailing actions, to just name a few examples that you can read about once again in this year’s recap.

In 2024, the EMB also made a strong case for dairy farmer interests at European level by sending an open letter to the European institutions, which you can also read in this edition. They described the difficult reality of farmers and the threats to food security for European citizens that stem from this situation. In the lead-up to World Milk Day and the European elections, the EMB took to the streets with Faironikas and organised a protest in Brussels under the slogan “A fair income for farmers – NOW!”, where they presented the demands of European producers to the EU Agriculture Ministers meeting in the city. In a joint open letter, European farmers of the EMB and other organisations as well as employees from the agri-food sector appealed to the EU institutions in October to blacklist the purchase of agricultural products at prices below production costs under the EU Directive on unfair trade practices (UTP).

On the political front, 2024 was also an extraordinary election year: 60 countries around the world elected new parliaments or heads of state, and almost half the world population, including USA, went to the ballot box. June was a crucial month, with European elections and elections in six EU Member States. We also have a new European Commission: going forward, Christophe Hansen from Luxembourg will be in-charge of the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development. On the geopolitical front, Sweden and Finland joined NATO in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, after decades of military neutrality. In the March edition, our Swedish member organisation Sveriges Mjölkbönder described the changes in the country and the challenges faced by dairy farmers.

In 2024, EMB member organisations used the newsletter to report on the state of the dairy sector in their respective countries, about shifting political and legal framework conditions like the phase-out of nitrates derogations, and other challenges. Despite the many differences, the problems are the same across countries: fluctuating or insufficient milk prices, weak bargaining position of producers viz à viz processors, lack of price transparency in the value chain, dairy farms going out of business, (over)ageing of farmers, no prospects for young people in the agricultural sector, and excessive red tape. The reports by organisations from Norway, Portugal, Latvia, Ireland and Denmark in this year’s recap clearly illustrate the situation of European dairy farmers.

The article from the Irish association ICMSA stands in for reports from countries about increasingly frequent extreme weather events and climate change that strongly affects farmers.

Within these difficult underlying conditions, the Fair Milk family proved yet again in 2024 that fair remuneration for milk producers is possible. In October, Fairebel celebrated its 15-year anniversary and its fifteen years of standing up for local and fair agriculture in Belgium. Over the last seven years, Di fair Milch Säuliamt has established itself as a success story in Switzerland, though it continues to face challenges. In Luxembourg, the fair cooperative brand D’fair Mëllech stands for fair and just agriculture for one and all, and for a community that respects humans, animals and nature. The EMB also welcomes the new Die faire Milch mit PENNY project that was presented in Germany in late October. A novel tripartite contract between supermarket chain PENNY, Die faire Milch and producer cooperative Fair Food aims to bring transparency to the value chain and fairness to price setting. FaireFrance is a beacon of fairness. Not only did they raise awareness about their Fair Milk project at their great stand at SIA Paris this year, but they also supported the peaceful joint action with many EMB members mentioned above. Last but not the least, we would like to, once again, shine a light on 29-year-old Stéphanie Mottiez, who runs her own dairy farm as a member of Faireswiss.

A new Executive Committee was elected at the EMB General Assembly in Brussels in November, which was attended by producer representatives from across Europe. Danish dairy farmer Kjartan Poulsen will continue to lead the European Milk Board as its President. Boris Gondouin from France moved from Executive Committee member to Vice-President. Guy Francq from MIG in Belgium, Guntis Gūtmanis from LOSP in Latvia, Roberto Cavaliere from APL in Italy, Denis Drennan from ICMSA in Ireland and Jens Scherb from BDM in Germany constitute the new Executive Committee.

There is a saying that is supposedly from China, though its origins are up for debate: “May you live in interesting times”. Given the continuing conflicts in our immediate neighbourhood, the geopolitical reality, the political uncertainties and the underlying difficult economic situation, 2025 promises to be yet another “interesting” year. Our commitment to fight for reforms in the dairy sector and fairer, more transparent conditions as well as fair remuneration for producers is renewed as we head into the new year. We will make sure that the new European Parliament and European Commission take up their responsibility and implement the announced producer-friendly strategies that aim to bring young people back to the sector. 

For now, we wish you all a peaceful, restful Christmas and a good start to the new year.

Your EMB team