On 13 January, Fairkoperativ, a cooperative of dairy farmers in Luxembourg, hosted Minister of Agriculture Martine Hansen and the new European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, for a screening of the documentary “Trainée de poudre”.

Just before the Christmas holidays – on 17 December 2024 – a very interesting article was published in the “Schweizer Bauer” trade magazine called “Butter imports: here’s how much money was made”. It looked at the millions earned by the Swiss Confederation in customs duties from the thousands of tonnes of butter imported to Switzerland between 2020 and 2023.

Alongside several Walloon and European agricultural organisations, MIG is taking a firm stance against the free-trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries. This agreement poses a direct threat to agriculture, the environment and food security in Europe by nullifying all sustainability efforts.

Representatives of several farmers’ associations have criticised Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an open letter. They accuse him of stepping on the brakes in the negotiations currently taking place in Brussels to introduce a European contractual obligation for the milk sector. Together they called upon Scholz to take a clear, resolute stance at the EU Agriculture Council at the end of January in order to improve the negotiating position of dairy farmers on the European level.

The European contractual obligation proposed by the European Commission, according to which dairies and dairy farms have to conclude written contracts about quantities, price, quality and duration prior to milk deliveries (Art. 148), is seen as an important first step. In this, the farmers are supported by leading nature conservation, animal protection and consumer associations. 

Ottmar Ilchmann, AbL spokesman for agricultural policy and a dairy farmer himself, added: “It is cynical of Olaf Scholz to demand a minimum wage of 15 euros in the election campaign while, at the same time, ensuring in Brussels that the big dairies can continue to dictate prices to dairy farmers like me. The farm-gate milk price often simply doesn’t allow for a minimum wage of 15 euros – neither for us dairy farmers nor for any workers we may have. It is similarly cynical that in response to last year’s large-scale farmers’ protests, the German government ensured that many ecological minimum requirements of European agricultural policy were done away with and toned down in a rush and without any impact assessment. On the other hand, when it comes to implementing mandatory contracts, first of all the intention is for working groups to be set up and impact assessments commissioned, although voluntary contractual obligation is already part of the Common Market Organisation. Improving the position of farmers in the value chains was one of the central promises made by politicians following the large-scale farmers’ demonstrations last winter. Stand by your word, Mr Chancellor!”

The European Regulation for a Common Market Organisation for agricultural products (CMO) already allows the Member States to voluntarily implement contractual obligations for the milk sector. Mandatory contracts mean that dairy farmers and dairies have to conclude written contracts about quantities, price, quality and duration prior to milk deliveries. Despite the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany has still not made use of this possibility. Just like the new EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, the signatories of the open letter are convinced that a general application of Art. 148 would lead to a noticeable stabilization of the milk market.

In the course of reforming the Common Market Organisation, on 10 December 2024, the European Commission proposed making the hitherto voluntary contractual obligation mandatory throughout Europe. On 27 January 2025, the EU Agriculture Council held the first round of negotiations about the reform proposal tabled by the European Commission. On 10 February, Commissioner Hansen presented his reform plans to the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. He emphasized that he wanted to complete the reform before the summer recess. Accordingly, both the Council and the Parliament are currently working hard to establish their positions. There is a window of opportunity for dairy farmers in the EU to achieve at least small improvements. We should make the most of it.

Please click here to read the full text of the open letter.

Phillip Brändle, agricultural policy advisor and press officer, Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft (AbL)