Danish meat producers pressure Aid Minister
Meat and dairy producers in Denmark are up in arms over a decision to shift food aid to WFP from cheese and meat products to wheat and peas. (See DT 9/94)
The decision was made with the aim of increasing the number of beneficiaries of the food aid, since vegetables are cheaper to produce than animal products. Indeed, according to the World Food Programme, 100,000 more people could be fed in 1994 through the Danish food assistance compared with 1992.
But Danish meat and cheese producers claim that the decision has already cost the industry 200 jobs. Prior to the decision, one-third of processed cheese produced in Denmark was sent to WFP. On the other hand, exports of wheat and peas have grown.
The meat and dairy industries are pressuring Social Democrat Minister Helle Degn to reverse the decision.