Group calls for supermarket watchdog

A group of farming industry and environmental organisations have called for the government to create an independent retail watchdog for the UK supermarket sector, pre-empting the forthcoming OFT review. The collective, which includes the Soil Association, Pesticide Action Network UK and Friends of the Earth, has also called for a new Code of Practice to replace the existing 2002 document.

It is claimed that the Code restricts opportunity for UK and international suppliers to develop working condition, environmental and animal welfare standards due to supermarkets passing inflated costs back down the supply chain.

Sandra Bell, Food and Farming Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said; "It is clear that the Code of Practice has failed to protect farmers and other suppliers from the bully behaviour of the big four supermarkets. It is impossible to see how the OFT can come to any other conclusion in its forthcoming review. The government must now act urgently to draw up a new Code and impose it on the supermarkets.

There must also be an independent watchdog with the power to protect suppliers and to ensure consumer choice and quality of goods is not being damaged in what has become a very concentrated grocery market."