The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Food isn't 'affordable' if it drives farmers out of business

Kate Archdeacon

The VFMA-accredited Eltham Farmers' Market attracts an average of 2300 shoppers every Sunday.
The VFMA-accredited Eltham Farmers' Market attracts an average of 2300 shoppers every Sunday.Supplied

COMMENT

What stories are we told about the prices we should be paying for food? Certainly, the loudest stories are told by supermarkets, whose sole purpose is to return a profit to shareholders. Even the Australian Bureau of Statistics collects its grocery price index data from the retail giants. Supermarket retail prices can be 150 to 400 per cent higher than the price the farmer receives. If food is "affordable" for the customer, it is far below affordable for the farmer.

Here's a different story.

Advertisement

The markets, farmers and food producers who make up the Victorian Farmers' Markets Association (VFMA) work together to provide authentic markets for independent farmers and producers through an accreditation program that explicitly excludes resellers.

The VFMA was founded in 2004 by farmers and market managers to create spaces for those who want to sell direct to their communities at prices that allow them to keep farming.

If Dave Tatman from Spring Creek Organics wasn't selling through farmers' markets, he wouldn't be farming anymore. At the markets, his customers pay him a fair price and they pay him on the day. More importantly, his customers appreciate and thank him for the produce his family grows – that's what keeps him going when the tractor breaks down or the cold muddy fields become disheartening.

'If food is 'affordable' for the customer, it is far below affordable for the farmer.'
'If food is 'affordable' for the customer, it is far below affordable for the farmer.'Jonathan Carroll

Farmers are under pressure to keep their prices low – even those who sell through farmers' markets. Last week, Wayne Shields from Peninsula Fresh Organics told the ABC he's facing a choice between ending production on his Barham farm and trying to hold on to his markets and continue buying water. He can't pass on the extra costs because people won't pay.

Advertisement

Although the costs to feed their hens have doubled, with grain so scarce across Australia due to drought, The Good Life Farm Co hasn't passed on the price increase to their customers either. This farming family works hard to give people the opportunity to buy eggs from hens living a good life outdoors with room to roam. They need the rest of us to understand the value of their work and support it with our spending decisions.

At accredited farmers' markets, you'll buy vegetables that stay fresh for longer, at prices comparable with supermarkets (we've done the research). You'll find pasture-raised rather than factory-processed meat, dairy and eggs. You'll sample mueslis, jams, pies, and sauces made for taste and seasonality, rather than for long shelf-lives.

So, visit your nearest accredited farmers' market this weekend. Buy fresh produce from the farmers and pay attention to how it tastes. Notice how long it stays fresh. Become a willing participant in the local food system we all need.

Kate Archdeacon is the executive officer of the Victorian Farmers' Markets Association.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement