NFU president Meurig Raymond has been elected by European farmers’ organisation Copa-Cogeca to represent EU farmers’ interests on the High Level Forum for a Better Functioning Food Supply Chain.

The forum, which seeks to improve relationships across the whole chain from consumers to farmers, processors and retailers, will be jointly chaired by EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan and the Commissioners for the Internal Market, Health and Food Safety.

Speaking in Brussels after his election Mr Raymond said, “I am very pleased to have this opportunity to work on the improvement of the European food supply chain. The NFU lobbied hard for the government to introduce the Groceries Code and Adjudicator in the UK. Although it isn’t perfect, it has improved relations between suppliers and retailers. I will be highlighting our experience – as Commissioner Hogan so frequently does – to my colleagues on the forum to ensure our example of best practice is shared throughout Europe.

“The NFU continues to call on the European Commission to bring forward legislation to deal with unfair trading practices. We want to ensure that British farmers receive a fair deal in the food chain both at home and abroad. The new High Level Forum is a chance to improve the food chain for the long term – deal with unfair trading, iron out volatility and create opportunities for the farming sector. The food chain is now in the political spotlight, and I intend to keep it there.”

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