Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, introduced the Food Supply Chain Fairness Bill in the UK parliament. The bill aims to secure equitable prices for farmers and food producers across the UK by enhancing the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), promoting local food procurement, and improving origin labeling.
Carmichael highlighted the non-free market nature of the UK's agricultural sector post-World War II, with supermarkets at the top and farmers at the bottom of the supply chain. He stated, "Everyone takes their cut, and then, at the end of it all, the farmers get whatever is left."
He shared insights from young farmers in his constituency, noting their net profit of 0.7% on capital, which he compared to Defra's average return of 0.5%. Carmichael, chair of the environment, food, and rural affairs committee, addressed the vulnerability of farmers due to the removal of ringfenced funds for devolved administrations.
Carmichael criticized the GCA's limitations, mentioning its lack of fines and citing a YouGov poll where 42% of suppliers feared raising issues due to potential retailer backlash. He labeled Asda's rumored price war a "chilling prospect" for farmers, stating, "If supermarkets are about to embark on a race to the bottom then we can be pretty sure that it will be farmers, not company executives or shareholders who will take the hit."
The bill has garnered cross-party support from Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Scottish National Party, Greens, and Democratic Unionists.
Source: Agriland