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”.

As the new year has rolled in and farmers have settled back into our spring calving pattern, where we calve most of our cows in February and March to coincide with our grass-grazing season, Irish farmers have many thoughts on their minds – much more than the impending arrival of calves and damage from the latest storm. Here are the main issues concerning the members of ICMSA for the coming year.

While the halls of the French agricultural show SIA were filled with thousands of discussions, the committed colleagues from FaireFrance served Fair Milk to numerous visitors and welcomed EMB representatives to their stand.

Multiple Swiss farmers’ organisations have called into question the role and legitimacy of the interbranch organisation IP Lait through a parliamentary motion. Their demand: a fairer governance system, more transparency in contracts, and milk prices aligned with production costs.

While a potential revision of the European Green Deal offers both challenges and opportunities, the possible – positive and negative – impacts on the dairy sector would be significant. Producers could face higher costs as a result of adopting greener practices, investing in sustainable technologies, and meeting stricter regulations.

Against the backdrop of additional costs arising from greener agricultural methods, milk prices remain an issue. Producers who adapt and innovate can potentially hold their edge, but higher costs for farmers may push up prices for consumers. Those who embrace change swiftly and boost efficiency might be able to compete for now – especially as buyers increasingly favour premium, sustainable dairy products. However, it will still be crucial for politicians to foster stronger producer cooperation in order to stabilise the market.

Experience across Europe shows that increasing the efficiency of individual farms is never enough. Adapting to new environmental requirements must go hand in hand with a market framework that guarantees cost‑covering prices. Instruments such as the Market Responsibility Programme (MRP) and the contractual obligation under Article 148 of the Common Market Organisation (CMO), in conjunction with an additional obligation to pay cost-covering prices including an adequate income for farmers, provide precisely the safety net dairy farmers need when adaptation-related costs surge.

Key factors include:

• Transparent cost indicators and cost‑covering price mechanisms: regular production cost studies for the EU countries (e.g. Office for Rural Sociology and Agriculture, BAL) show that farmers are, on average, miles away from covering their costs of production.

• State support and agricultural policies: the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other funding mechanisms should be used to provide financial incentives and assistance to farmers adopting sustainable practices.

• Increased demand for sustainable dairy products: growing consumer awareness for environmental and health issues can boost demand for organic milk and dairy products with shorter supply chains.

• Farmer‑owned brands such as Fair Milk: regaining a greater share of the value within the supply chain can stabilise prices and improve bargaining conditions.

• Innovation and technological advances.

Roberto Cavaliere, President of Associazione Produttori Latte della Pianura Padana (APL), May/June 2025

At the latest EMB General Assembly, member organisations from numerous European countries met to discuss the key challenges faced by the dairy sector. Everyone agreed: even if farmers are now paid cost-covering farm-gate prices more often than before - i.e. we have made progress in achieving one of the EMB’s goals – the fundamental issues plaguing the dairy sector persist and they must be addressed NOW. It is time to stop farms from going out of business – European dairy farmers demand rigorous reforms for future-proof agriculture.

Today, many dairy farmers are suffering because their profession does not get the recognition it deserves. If we want to highlight the value of dairy farming, perhaps we should begin by singing the praise of dairy cows. We need to understand their essential role in our agricultural system and showcase their many contributions. I have therefore decided to give my dairy cows a voice. I interact with them day in day out and they are a part of my life. But I realise that the public at large knows very little about them. So, I will do my best to speak on their behalf.

On 4 September 2025, the European Milk Board took part in a large protest in Brussels, where numerous organisations from the agricultural, environmental and development sectors jointly expressed their opposition to the planned trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries. For the EMB, it is clear that the Mercosur agreement unilaterally serves the interests of large trade and industrial groups – with serious consequences for European agriculture, the environment and food security.

This summer, the German dairy farmers’ association BDM celebrated its 20-year anniversary with summer fests and dairy farmer evenings. Two key events took place in September: the Fair Milk Conference in Dortmund and the Agriculture Ministers Conference in Heidelberg. We are currently gearing up for our symposium, which will be held on 7-8 November in Arnstadt near Erfurt – for the first time outside of the International Green Week. Against this backdrop, setting the political agenda comes strongly into focus.

The Swiss dairy market is plagued by uncertainty: cheese exports are expected to drop due to the tariffs imposed by the United States. What do we do with the milk that we will no longer be able to sell in this way? BIG-M is highly concerned about the interbranch organisation’s decision to offload these milk volumes abroad in the form of butter.

At Di fair Milch Säuliamt, we are grappling with whether a regional certification like “Suisse Garantie” could help us grow, while taking stock of the many hoops to jump through in order to obtain it. At the same time, we are working on a new product that is sure to delight our customers and consumers.