Vi får Norge til å gro! Making Norway Grow A Short Presentation of The Norwegian Farmers’ Union.

12
Vi får Norge til å gro! Making Norway Grow A Short Presentation of The Norwegian Farmers’ Union

Transcript of Vi får Norge til å gro! Making Norway Grow A Short Presentation of The Norwegian Farmers’ Union.

Vi får Norge til å gro!

Making Norway Grow

A Short Presentation of

The Norwegian Farmers’ Union

The Norwegian Farmers’ UnionNFU

• NFU - one out of two farmers’ organisations • Recognized by the Government as one official party in

annual negotiations• 49 000 farmers in Norway• 62 000 members - direct membership• Approx. 31 000 agricultural producers are members • Approx. 32 % women• Average age 50

The member organisation (1)

The objective is to unite all who are, or feel attached to agriculture and work for common interests.

Anybody who supports our objective can become a member. A membership implies both rights and obligations.

The member organisation (2)

Local branches (580)• Local interest groups and constitute the main meeting

ground for colleagues in the local farming sector • Engages and influences local authorities, especially in

matters concerning land management and business development

• The local annual meeting is open to all members and gives each member the right and possibility to influence the policies and workings of the organisation

The member organisation (3)

County departments (18) • Engages and influences authorities at county level • Promotes agriculture in the media • Active toward politicians, both MP’s and

representatives for county based governments and party organisations.

• Regional business development• Helps and supports the local branches• Elects county leaders and delegates to the annual

national assembly

The member organisation (4)The Norwegian Farmers' Union • Annual meeting highest authority• Annual meeting, board of directors and committee of repr. are

main policy-makers• The work is directed towards

– the members– the government – annual negotiations (support and prices)– coops– the private business sector

• Proactive in focusing on agriculture in the national media – Open Farms, “The Green School”, campaigns

• Service and assistance for members

Organizational structure

62 000 members

Local branches (580)• Annual meeting• Board (5)

County branches (18)• Annual meeting• Board• Administration (3-5)

Nat. level• Annual meeting (170)• C. of representatives (47)• Board• Secr. general• 60 employees• 5 departments

How policy is formed

Norwegian Agricultural Policy:

• Parliament establishes framework (2001)• Annual negotiations concerning support schemes and

prices• Laws and regulations

NFU and other interest groups

Ministry of AgriculturePolitical parties

ParliamentFarmers

The NFU - a wide engagementFrameworks and farming policies Our objectives • To secure the overall framework for farm based

activities for our members • To ensure sufficient income in farming to create and

maintain attractive jobs and business development in agriculture

• To ensure local ownership and local control of resources

• To develop an active policy for maintaining a decentralised population and employment opportunities in rural areas

Membership advantages

• Agricultural policy-making, framework, legislation, rules and regulations

• Individual help and support - covered by membership fee• Direct personal advantages - at self-cost • Socio-vocational environment - locally• Local interest-organization and pressure groups• Membership fee: 1.750 NOK average

Direct personal advantages

• Farmers Weekly (“Bondebladet”)• Insurance • Accountancy- services and book-keeping• Discount prices (fuel/energy, telecommunication, cars, etc)• Assistance in legal matters• Health/Safety/Work-environment• Publishing Company• Self-study - groups

International activities• International interest-organisations

– IFAP (International Federation og Agr. Producers)– COPA (EU-farmers’ organizations)– NBC (Nordic Farmers’ Central Org.)

• Relations to the EU– Mainly trough Min. of Agriculture, The Norwegian Delegation to the

EU– Observation post in Brussels - one person - serves both the NFU and

the Norwegian coops.

• WTO– Doha-round, crucial for agricultural policy and Norwegian farmers– Ongoing negotiations – NFU: every country’s

right to it’s own food production