Oxfam has expressed "dismay and disappointment" at what it termed the misrepresentation of its EU sugar industry study by the Irish Farmers' Association. Following a meeting between IFA and Oxfam on Tuesday, IFA said Oxfam's sugar policy, if implemented, would destroy Irish sugar beet growers' livelihoods.
"We are dismayed that the IFA, after a single exploratory meeting with us, should have launched an attack on our policies to create a fairer world economy," Oxfam's chief executive, Dr Brian Scott, said. "These issues are complex, with many legitimate interests. We are disappointed that the IFA should engage in megaphone diplomacy while Oxfam is looking for an honest exchange of views.
"Oxfam is not, as the IFA claims, calling for the abolition of EU supports and a complete free-for-all. The legitimate needs of EU farmers, especially small-scale family farmers, deserve adequate and effective consideration."
He said, "It is not Oxfam's proposals that will damage sugar cane growers in poor countries, as the IFA wrongly claims. Rather, it is the 5.2 million tonnes of heavily subsidised sugar dumped on world markets by the European industry ... Oxfam utterly opposes the 25 per cent net profits of the big European sugar processors and the huge subsidies paid to already very rich big farmers. It is disgraceful that large European agri-food corporations should shelter behind Irish farmers in order to protect their excess profits."