Farmers have called on the government to overhaul the food supply chain regulator to address the power imbalance between supermarkets and growers.
As part of Riverford’s Get Fair About Farming campaign, farmers, MPs and industry bodies have called for the strengthening of the Groceries Code Adjudicator and the creation of a single regulator to protect farmers and ensure fair treatment.
In the latest survey from Riverford, seven in 10 farmers (69%) felt the buying relationship between growers and retailers had worsened over the past two years, with 68% saying making a living through farming has never been harder.
The research also found 76% of farmers believed the current supply chain regulatory system does not protect farmers from unfair supermarket practices and is unfit for purpose.
Meanwhile, 75% believe a single regulatory body to oversee the entire supply chain would ensure fairer treatment.
“Supermarket[s] know how much they’re taking and how vulnerable farmers are – they exploit the power imbalance,” said Haydn Evans, a dairy farmer from Carmarthen in Wales. “They know you are always negotiating with two hands tied behind your back.”
Eighty-six MPs have signed an Early Day Motion calling to merge the existing supply chain watchdogs, currently split across two government departments, into one stronger, more effective body.
In addition, over 3,000 people have written to their MPs in support of better regulation.
Read more: Riverford Organic Farmers calls out supermarkets for importing produce in the British season
“For three years our #GetFairAboutFarming campaign has been calling for a regulator with real teeth, one that can stand up to supermarkets and help address the huge imbalance of power in our supply chains,” said Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson. “Over 113,000 people have backed that call, and even parliament has debated it, yet farmers are still being failed by a system that’s meant to protect them.”
He added that farming shouldn’t “feel like survival” and that a new regulator was a “vital step” to improving conditions.
Riverford’s research showed 99% of farmers had experienced at least one ‘unfair’ practice including cancelled orders, late payments and unfavourable, unfair or unprofitable pricing.
The relationship between growers and supermarkets has “substantively deteriorated”, according to Sussex apple farmer Richard Stogdon. “We take enormous risks in growing these crops.”
The research found 65% of farmers felt they have no choice but to accept the terms supermarkets set for fear of being delisted, while 76% felt under financial pressure from supermarket buying practices, and 61% said they believe their farm to be at financial risk due to retailer behaviour.
Riverford said this was “piling pressure on stretched growers”, with 82% of respondents saying unfair supermarket practices are contributing to stress and poor mental health amongst the farming community.
The government is currently reviewing the GCA and launched a consultation in May of this year. The statutory consultation has now closed and it is now up to the government to publish the results.
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