World’s first milk price set by consumers
© Westend61/REX/Shutterstock A new milk brand which pays producers a fair milk price set entirely by the public hit supermarket shelves in Paris and the Rhones-Alps region this week.
“C’est qui le patron”, or “who’s the boss”, part of the Consumers Brand in France, pays €0.39/litre (35p/litre) to its 50 farmers. This is €0.10/litre (9p/litre) more than dairy giant Lactalis, which buys 20% of all milk in the country, pays its producers.
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The price was set according to a consumer survey in which 48% of respondents said they were willing to pay a premium price for their milk, with just 3% saying they would pay no more than current global market rates (€0.29/litre).
“C’est qui le Patron” ? C’est vous ! Le lait qui rémunère mieux son producteur arrive dans nos magasins 👐 https://t.co/NjoWbvbdAk pic.twitter.com/1k9ZbpSqsD
— Carrefour France (@CarrefourFrance) October 17, 2016
The milk will be stocked in over 5,000 Carrefour stores across France
The make-up of the milk was also dictated by the consumer survey, with 87% of respondents stating they wanted the cows fed on non-GMO feed, while 84% wanted herds to be at pasture for a minimum of three to six months a year.
Even the type of packaging was dictated by consumer choice – 78% wanting a carton with a lid.
The milk’s distribution will expand to 5,200 stores nationwide on 2 November and milk production from the organisation’s 50 producers is expected to grow from 1.2m litres a year to between 7m and 10m litres.
C’est qui le patron predicts that its milk will cost consumers just €4.00 a year more than current prices, but guarantee producers will receive “a fair price that allows farmers to have a social life”.