Criticism piles the reactions to Yolanda Díaz’s proposal regarding the prices of basic foods have not been long in coming: the food and distribution sector has already put its cards on the table. At the beginning of this week, the Minister of Labor and second vice president of the Government announced her desire to seek a solution with the large distributors in the food sector to create a shopping basket that would be affordable for all Spanish families. In this way, Díaz intended to limit the effects of inflation by putting a cap on the price of foods such as eggs, fruit or bread.
Criticism piles this is how agents in the food sector have reacted
The agricultural organization industry email list Asaja has criticized the “personal whims and selfishness” of Yolanda Díaz, arguing “they are going to endanger the foundations of a sector as important as the agricultural sector.” For its part, the Coordinator of Farmers and Livestock Organizations ( COAG ), although it has assured that it shares the concern about the increase in food prices, has insisted that the Government must ” stop the speculation that is taking place throughout of the food chain. The Spanish Confederation of Commerce (CEC) has spoken along the same lines.
Some associations open to dialogue
It seems that the Association Country List of Manufacturers and Distributors (AECOC) has not been convinced by the price regulation proposal either. In an interview with EFEagro , the entity assures that it has been “adjusting its margins ” for some time in order to try not to pass on the increase in product costs to consumers. For employers, an option to reduce food prices could involve a reduction in VAT, a measure that the Spanish Association of Distributors, Self-service and Supermarkets (Asedas) also views favorably .