Following the report from the fourth statutory review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), which can be read in full by clicking here, the Government concluded that  whilst the GCA remains effective there was confusion between the GCA and remit of the DEFRA appointed Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA) and a need for improved coordination. As a result, the Government has decided to move GCA sponsorship from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to DEFRA. To read further details about that decision, click here.

In response to this change, TFA Chief Executive, George Dunn, said: “The transfer of responsibility for the GCA, from the DBT to DEFRA represents a significant step forward in achieving better supply chain regulation. One of the reasons that DEFRA established the ASCA under the Agriculture Act 2020 was the difficulty that had been encountered in convincing the DBT to reform the operation of the GCA to make it more effective and more encompassing. Bringing the GCA under the same umbrella as the ASCA will make it so much easier for DEFRA to take a farm to fork approach to ensure fairness within supply chains.  Farmers and growers are all too regularly left facing incredibly challenging circumstances in the way that they are treated by processors and retailers and it is vital that DEFRA now seizes the opportunity to level that playing field to ensure fairness for all.“