Farming in Europe has always involved risk. But in recent years, the pressures have intensified: rising input costs, extreme weather, and — most persistently — a structural imbalance in bargaining power. When a small farmer sells produce to a large supermarket or food processor, the negotiation rarely takes place between equals.
On March 5, 2026, the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement designed to start changing that. The deal amends existing rules governing how agricultural markets are organised across the EU, with the aim of distributing value more fairly throughout the food supply chain.
Among the most concrete measures: member states will be required to publish transparent online price indicators that farmers can use as anchors in contract negotiations — ensuring that the actual cost of production is reflected in what they are paid. Written contracts will become mandatory in the dairy sector, where income volatility has been particularly severe. Producer organisations will be strengthened and simplified, making it easier for farmers to negotiate collectively rather than individually.
The agreement also introduces new labelling rules. Terms like "fair" or "short supply chain" on food packaging will now require meeting defined criteria. And names associated with meat cuts — including "steak" and "liver" — will be legally reserved for products that contain real meat, explicitly excluding cell-cultured and lab-grown alternatives.
The deal still requires formal endorsement by both institutions before it enters into force. But for European farmers who have spent years arguing that the system was structurally weighted against them, the provisional agreement represents a meaningful shift in the right direction.