Recruitment for the CEO of the Office for Fairness and Transparency in the Agri-Food Supply Chain has commenced, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has confirmed.
Speaking at the Fianna Fáil Ard Dheis today (Saturday, October 1), the minister stated that the office would be up and running by the end of 2022.
He added that it “will be an office with real teeth that will protect our farm families”.
“I want those who are breaking the unfair trading practices to be afraid of the office.”
The office, which received approval by Cabinet in March of this year, will act as the state’s designated enforcement authority for the Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Regulations.
The Office for Fairness and Transparency will focus on ensuring that buyers in the agri-food supply chain do not engage in unfair practices in their business dealings with farmers and other suppliers.
As well as carrying out analysis of prices, markets and key reports, it will engage with retailers, processors, wholesalers and other key stakeholders to promote transparency at all stages.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said that the office will have the power to penalise those in breach of the UTP Regulations, which were enacted by the minister in 2021.
However, following the Cabinet’s sign off, numerous farm organisations called for the office to be given the power to ban below cost selling.
At a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee (JOC) on Agriculture, Food and the Marine in July, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) and Macra among others, presented their proposals on the new office.
IFA president, Tim Cullinan called for the removal of the legislative ability to impose fees on a person making a complaint under the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022.
Meanwhile, the president of the ICMSA Pat McCormack called for the inclusion of representatives from farm organisations on the board of the office.
He also stated that the new office should monitor “green washing” of large food processing and retail companies.