UK supermarkets have joined forces with their European counterparts to slam a report into the impact of major retailers on the food supply chain.
José Bové, vice chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament, is set to present the report to the committee on Tuesday.
Bové's report is expected to call for better prices for farmers and an amendment to European competition law to strengthen their bargaining power in negotiations with the food industry. But major retailers are concerned the report misrepresents the impact supermarkets have on the supply chain.
The BRC's food policy director Andrew Opie told The Grocer there was a lot of "misinformation and misunderstanding" regarding how the supply chain worked and that the report focused too heavily on single-issue groups rather than the whole chain.
"Together with our EU partners we are emphasising that the report is unbalanced and ignores the consumer perspective," he said. "Consumers want affordable, quality food and to ignore their role is ridiculous. We have a highly competitive retail sector that benefits consumers, but this report wants to set aside competition laws in order to promote the interests of the farming lobby."
The BRC is currently chairing a group of European retail bodies, which is set to hold an event in the European parliament on 11 May to "ensure there is a better understanding in Europe of how the supply chain actually works". One of the bodies in the group, the Dutch Food Retail Association (CBL), has also presented a report to Bové: 'On satisfied consumers; The role of the supermarkets.'
Opie said supermarkets were also unjustifiably coming under attack over own label. "Own brands have given consumers increased choice, affordability and led the way in areas of innovation such as the use of healthier ingredients and higher standards of environmental and animal welfare."
José Bové, vice chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament, is set to present the report to the committee on Tuesday.
Bové's report is expected to call for better prices for farmers and an amendment to European competition law to strengthen their bargaining power in negotiations with the food industry. But major retailers are concerned the report misrepresents the impact supermarkets have on the supply chain.
The BRC's food policy director Andrew Opie told The Grocer there was a lot of "misinformation and misunderstanding" regarding how the supply chain worked and that the report focused too heavily on single-issue groups rather than the whole chain.
"Together with our EU partners we are emphasising that the report is unbalanced and ignores the consumer perspective," he said. "Consumers want affordable, quality food and to ignore their role is ridiculous. We have a highly competitive retail sector that benefits consumers, but this report wants to set aside competition laws in order to promote the interests of the farming lobby."
The BRC is currently chairing a group of European retail bodies, which is set to hold an event in the European parliament on 11 May to "ensure there is a better understanding in Europe of how the supply chain actually works". One of the bodies in the group, the Dutch Food Retail Association (CBL), has also presented a report to Bové: 'On satisfied consumers; The role of the supermarkets.'
Opie said supermarkets were also unjustifiably coming under attack over own label. "Own brands have given consumers increased choice, affordability and led the way in areas of innovation such as the use of healthier ingredients and higher standards of environmental and animal welfare."
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