Debate on an e-petition to reform the Groceries Supply Code of Practice to better protect farmers

E-petition 643216 calls for the government to amend the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP, or the Code) to require retailers, “without exception”, to: “Buy what they agreed to buy, Pay what they agreed to pay [and] Pay on time”.

The Groceries Supply Code or Practice (GSCOP, or the Code) was introduced in 2009 following a market investigation by the Competition Commission (CC, now the Competition and Markets Authority, the CMA).

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) was established by the Groceries Code Adjudicator Act 2013. The GCA is responsible for enforcing the GSCOP and is funded by a levy on designated retailers.

Farming groups have frequently called for the GSCOP to be amended to cover indirect supplies to grocery retailers. 

Similar views were reflected in the Groceries Code Adjudicator: statutory review, 2019 to 2022.

This pack includes information on the Code and the Adjudicator, the views of farmers and grocery retailers and how farmers’ relationships with supermarkets could change, as well as recent Parliamentary material, news and press releases.