Celebrating MP Andrew George’s 12 year quest: a Fair Deal for British food producers

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At the Family Farmers’ Association meeting in Westminster, on the afternoon of October 17^th, Andrew George will be presented with a Fair Deal Award by Cornish farmer Michael Hart, Fair Deal Council member.

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His track record

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In his own words during a parliamentary debate on the grocery sector which he secured in December 2008:

 

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“In July 2006, I was privileged to be able to call together a wide range of non-governmental organisations and interest groups including Friends of the Earth, the Association of Convenience Stores, the British Brands Group, the British Independent Fruit Growers Association, ActionAid, Traidcraft, the National Farmers Union of England and Wales, the National Farmers Union of Scotland, Banana Link and Breaking the Armlock in what we called a cross-cutting group, because it was covering a number of subjects that were relevant to the Competition Commission inquiry.

“We submitted a proposal, which I had supported for a number of years, for not so much an independent food trade regulator as an adjudicator. On 13 March this year, following the provisional findings of the Competition Commission’s inquiry, I went to give further evidence to the commission along with Michael Hutchings, a lawyer supporting the cross-cutting group, and Robin Tapper, representing the NFU. I was pleased that on 30 April 2008, the commission’s final report on the United Kingdom grocery market included proposals for the strengthening of what was then known as the supermarket code of practice to become a reinforceable grocery sector code of practice and for the establishment of a supermarket ombudsman.”

He has corresponded with and met several Fair Deal Food proponents, hosting Pippa Woods’ Family Farmers Association Westminster meetings. In 2008 he wrote:

“Further to your letter of 3″^d December I would of course be happy for you to make public my support for a fair deal for UK food producers”, enclosing copies of statements he had made in respect of the Competition Commission’s Inquiry into the grocery trade.

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Only now is the legislation before the House, though as long ago as 2000 the Competition Commission’s Inquiry had published its findings: 

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In summary, big retailers consistently:

• delay payments to suppliers – a practice that can push small companies out of business, and people out of work;
• reduce the agreed price of an order after it’s been delivered;
• require payments from suppliers when supermarket profits are not as big as expected;
• require suppliers to contribute to the cost of opening a new store;
• change orders at the last minute – for example, demanding different packaging and forcing suppliers to pick up the cost. 

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A report in the Farmers Weekly Online (2011) records that Mr George, chairman of the cross-party Grocery Market Action group, fears stalling by civil servants meant the Bill would be unlikely to be put in place until 2014 – a delay he deemed unacceptable:

“It has been a lot of work to get MPs on side because they were sceptical of over-regulation, but this is a regulation that is essential,” he told Farmers Weekly.

“We are talking about suppliers and farmers being pushed to the margin because of the pressure being put on them by over-powerful supermarkets using bully-boy tactics . . . 

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“Every week the government fails to act, farmers are finding themselves in more difficulty.” 

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“I am having discussions with Ed Davey [in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills] to ensure that when the starting gun is fired, the ombudsman can be rolled out immediately and civil servants are geared up to act . . . I am also having discussions with the leader of the House to make sure they are properly raising the issue to find the time to discuss it during the parliamentary session. In my role as a quasi-DEFRA minister, I have also been trying to be ‘coalitionised’ and have meetings with Jim Paice and DEFRA minister Caroline Spelman to help push the issue.

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“We will be giving it a strong push in the autumn – the pressure is definitely on.”

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Other interests: he has been in the news this month for several reasons, including his work with Stephen Fry on the Parthenon Marbles and support for improvements to Penzance Harbour. More information on all this can be seen here.

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