FDF Response to the House of Commons EFRA Select Committee inquiry into fairness in the food supply chain

Building on FDF’s submission to the EFRA committee’s prior inquiry, this latest submission outlines FDF’s support for the work of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) and the effectiveness of the current Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP), while also highlighting some areas for consideration as part of a broader review of the Code.

Key messages to government  include:

• Delivering a more coherent and joined-up approach across government to ensure regulation doesn’t add unnecessary complexity to businesses and costs to consumers, undermine UK food security or impede essential investment to boost growth and resilience across food and drink supply chains.
• Recommend the CMA open a review of the  Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) to take into account new challenges that have emerged in the nearly 14 years since it was created and boosting the resources and operational flexibility of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) to ensure that it can effectively oversee GSCOP compliance.
• Put in place a tariff policy that will deliver ongoing reform to the UK Global Tariff to ensure it meets the needs of UK producers, shoppers, and consumers.
• Work with industry to support low-income households and our efforts to shift consumers towards affordable, healthier, and most sustainable choices. This would include supporting innovation and R&D in UK food and drink to ensure industry can respond to the challenges of the future.

You can view the full response here.

For any comments or questions, please contact Tanya.