Letter from Europe: Will price pressures lead to more acceptance of GM foods?

Politicians – and farmers – say it’s time to say goodbye to cheap food policies in Europe. But consumers still continue to seek low prices – and the biggest supermarket chains are making sure they get them

by NORMAN DUNN

The era of cheap food in Europe is over. That was an announcement from the European Parliament in 2009. Trouble is, no one has told the union’s 500 million consumers.   
Let’s take milk as an example. Supermarkets almost everywhere looked like they were responding to pressure from farmers for more money. They added around 10 per cent to retail milk prices in mid-2009. But the real reason was a shortage of milk in the summer.

Better Farming - March 2010