Government urged to improve fairness in the supply chain

Parliament, London. Copyright: ZoneCreative | shutterstock

Published: Wednesday 19 March 2025

On Tuesday 18 March, the EFRA Committee wrote to Daniel Zeichner MP, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, calling for the government to address unfairness in the food supply chain.

The letter sets out recommendations to ensure that farmers get a fair return for the food they produce. Many of the recommendations echo Sustain’s own recommendations, set out in a joint briefing by the Groceries Code Action Network.

The Committee recommended that the government should:

Address the impact of inflation and rising costs on farmers
Promote more equitable sharing of risk throughout food supply chains
Reform contractual practices in supply chains by introducing fair dealing powers across all sectors
Consider revising the scope of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and improve the resourcing of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) to monitor and regulate supermarkets’ relations with producers
Establish formal mechanisms to facilitate information sharing between the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA) and the GCA.

These points draw on evidence submitted to the EFRA Committee's ongoing inquiry. In a summary of the evidence received so far, the Committee acknowledged points raised by Sustain, arguing that "aggresive commercial strategies" by the largest retailers are having a negative financial impact on food producers. Daniel Zeichner MP will appear before the inquiry on Tuesday 1 April.

The letter precedes the tabling of the Food Supply Chain Fairness Bill as an Early Day Motion on Wednesday 19 March, by the EFRA Committee Chair, Alistair Carmichael MP.

Will White, Coordinator of the Sustainable Farming Campaign, said,

"We welcome this letter and the leadership shown by the EFRA Committee in addressing the current unfairness in food supply chain. Farmers are being constantly squeezed by unfair trading practices, while retailers continue to post substantial profits. Without meaningful intervention, this pressure will continue to push farmers down the path of intensification - undermining both farmers' livelihoods and the government's statutory environmental targets.

The government must act on these recommendations in order to enable farmers to deliver a resilient, nature friendly food system."

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Georgina Edwards
Campaign Officer
Sustainable Farming Campaign

Georgina’s work helps to promote a transition to agroecological farming systems that provide healthy, affordable and sustainable food while supporting good livelihoods.

Georgina joined Sustain in August 2024, having worked in research, policy and advocacy in the third sector. Her background is in campaigning for better legislation, funding and support for rural and community co-operatives to get set up and to thrive. She has a strong interest in food and farming, having been an allotment grower for several years, and through volunteering at a community farm, edible garden, and farmers market.

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Will joined as Sustainable Farming Campaign Coordinator at Sustain in September 2023, and has a background in implementing Agroecological farming methods and managing vineyards in Somerset. Outside of his farming expertise, Will has previously worked on issues surrounding food poverty, having coordinated food bank collection campaigns in Bristol and near Manchester. Will is a dedicated advocate for nature friendly farming and fairness across the entirety of the food supply chain.

Will White
Sustainable Farming Coordinator Sustainable Farming Campaign