Contractual relationships in the UK fresh produce industry

The UK government is committed to tackling contractual unfairness where it exists in the agri-food supply chain. At the UK Farm to Fork Summit held at Downing Street on 16 May 2023 the UK government announced a new review into fairness in the horticulture supply chain to support British farmers and improve food security. This builds on the reviews we already have underway using powers under s.29 of the Agriculture Act 2020 to improve transparency and fair contractual dealing in the dairy and pork sectors, and in October launched a review of the egg sector. The focus of this review is on fresh produce in the edible horticulture sector, referred to as ‘fresh produce’ throughout this consultation. There are hundreds of different fresh produce crops which vary greatly in terms of the market the produce is sold to, growing conditions, and perishability. Industry and government have developed various methods for grouping fresh produce crops; however, there is no