90% of consumers want farmers protected from below-cost selling
The research, carried out for Agri Aware by Ipsos MRBI, also found that three in five people say selling below-cost vegetables will not benefit the consumer in the long term.
Agri Aware chairman Bernard Donohue said: “Retailers must realise and take on board what the consumer wants. The below-cost selling of food will leave both consumers and the primary producer as the long-term losers.
“Furthermore, with a projected 9bn people to feed by 2050, Irish farmers will continue to play a pivotal role in feeding the growing world population.”
Citing issues that impact on trade, leading to volatility in international markets, Mr Donohue said a secure and safe food supply is imperative for Irish and European citizens. He said the survey reveals strong public support for legislation ensuring farmers receive a fair price from supermarkets.
“Following the vegetable price war at Christmas, the National Consumer Agency described this as positive, yet this Agri Aware survey clearly demonstrates that the Irish public expect retailers to treat farm families fairly,” he added.
Agri Aware mentioned the vegetable price war in the run-up to Christmas, in which retailers sold carrots, onions, and potatoes for as little as 5c per kilo. These promotions sparked fierce criticism from the IFA and other farmer groups.
The Agri Aware study also found 79% of the public consider quality to be more important than price when buying food. Some 86% of respondents agreed that farmers’ contribution to society is important; while the majority agreed that they are proud of farmers (90%) and believe they play an important part in the economy (92%).
The survey also found that 85% of people believe that standards of food production in the EU are higher than in the rest of the world, while 82% believe this higher standard should be rewarded with financial support from the EU.
