Below is a list of archive news items. For recent updates, see Latest news.
Could the Competition & Markets Authority seriously do the job of policing the GSCOP?
The Grocer – 19th July 2022
Critics say the GCA has over-stepped its remit and made itself vulnerable, but supporters warn handing its job to the CMA would be disastrous
Small business minister Jane Hunt had been in the job for just two weeks when The Grocer revealed she was to consider scrapping the Groceries Code Adjudicator role in a drive to increase efficiency and ministerial accountability.
Trust in supermarket food down as consumers link cheaper choices with lower quality, survey finds
The Grocer – 20th July 2022
Consumers are losing trust in supermarket food as they assume swapping to cheaper ranges means compromising on quality and food safety, new research suggests.
A YouGov survey of 3,500 UK adults commissioned by Red Tractor found 46% were changing what they bought to keep their families fed during the cost of living crisis.…
Tacon announces Co-op Member Nominated Director candidacy
I am standing as a Member Nominated Director for the Co-op at their AGM held on Saturday 21st May 2022. I have been asked to produce a brief candidate address, a 500-word statement and a 2-minute video. These can be view below, as well as on the Co-op website.…
Ex-military workers encouraged to join food supply chain by £450k grant
The Grocer – 21st February 2022
Food sector learning provider MDS has received a £450,000 grant to create a training programme for non-graduates and triple the number of its secondments in the food industry.
The campaign will focus on recruiting ex-military personnel and career changers to upskill the fresh produce sector.…
NFU Scotland AGM 2022: Sustainability increasingly important for farm assurance
The Press and Journal – 11th February 2022
Sustainability will become an increasingly important component of farm assurance going forward, claim the leaders of three industry assurance bodies.
Speaking at the NFU Scotland virtual annual general meeting and conference, the chairs of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), Red Tractor and Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) said farm produce buyers were increasingly asking for assurances about the sustainability of food produced on British farms.…
CAPI Releases Report on Supply Chain Efficiencies
Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) – 27th January 2022
The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) announces the release of its latest Perspective Report, delivering critical insights on supply-chain efficiencies and competitiveness from UK Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon.
A healthy supply chain, where food can flow efficiently from farmers and processors, through retailers to consumers, is critical for Canada and Canadians,” says Tyler McCann, Managing Director of CAPI.…
Women In Food & Farming – November Broadcast
Guest Speaker Jan England of England Marketing
“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture, and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.…
Women In Food & Farming – October Broadcast
Guest Speaker Judith Batchelar OBE. Special Advisor CR&S and Public Affairs Sainsbury’s.
“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture, and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.…
Women In Food & Farming – September Broadcast
What Have We Learned In Our Ways Of Working From The COVID Pandemic…?
A quick insight from some of the Group Founders as to what they have found and differing ways of working from over the last 18mths.
“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture, and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.…
Canada food retail body issues own call for grocery code of conduct
Just Food – 28th May 2021
Canada’s largest retail trade body has joined calls for a grocery code of conduct – although its demands have sparked concerns at one leading manufacturers’ association.
The Retail Council of Canada, which represents Canada’s largest food retailers, yesterday (27 May) announced it wants a “food industry code of practice” and unveiled a new “alliance” of supplier and retail organisations that would look to devise the new system.…
Red Tractor leader to discuss food and farming challenges
Eastern Daily Press – 9th April 2021
The Norfolk-born businesswoman who now leads the nation’s largest farm assurance scheme will discuss the future challenges facing the food industry during an online event.
Christine Tacon, newly-appointed chairman of the Red Tractor farm and food assurance scheme, will speak at an online event on Tuesday, part of series of lectures and debates to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Royal Agricultural University (RAU).…
Women In Food & Farming – March Broadcast
Views on the Biggest Challenges Facing Agriculture in the next 10 years
“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture, and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.…
Aldi to fund 60 fresh produce management trainees
The Grocer – 10th March 2021
Aldi is to fund 60 management apprenticeships in the fresh produce industry over two years to help nurture talent in the sector.
The move is in partnership with fresh produce management training scheme MDS, chaired by former GCA Christine Tacon.…
Women In Food & Farming – Unofficial World Record
Brexit opportunity prompts MDS investment
Fresh Produce Journal – 26th January 2021
More young people are looking to pursue career in food, reports grad training organisation, with Brexit expected to boost efforts to nurture homegrown talent
Agrifood graduate training organisation MDS has reported “unprecedented” demand from graduates as well as new member companies over the past 12 months. …
Tacon appointed chair of Red Tractor Assurance
The Grocer – 21st December 2020
Former Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has been appointed chair of the Red Tractor Assurance scheme.
Tacon, who stood down from her GCA role in October after more than seven years at the helm, replaces Lucy Neville-Rolfe, whose three-year term ended in November.…
BBC Farming Today Red Tractor Interview
Farming Today – 18th December 2020
…
Tacon named new chairman of Red Tractor scheme
Farmers Weekly – 18th December 2020
Former groceries code adjudicator Christine Tacon has been appointed as the new head of Red Tractor.
Ms Tacon has been named as the chairman of Assured Food Standards (ASF), the company that operates the Red Tractor Assurance scheme. …
The UK’s first Groceries Code Adjudicator is appointed chair of Red Tractor Assurance
Christine Tacon CBE has been appointed Chair of Assured Food Standards who operate the Red Tractor Assurance scheme.
The former Groceries Code Adjudicator takes up the role on the 1st January 2021, replacing Dame Lucy Neville-Rolfe, whose term ended last month.…
2020: a year of great progress for the Drop and Drive Claims Workgroup
Simply Supply Chain Blog – 27th October 2020
Despite the considerable impacts on the grocery supply chain this year, the Drop and Drive Claims Workgroup has continued to make great progress during 2020 and we were able to celebrate some incredible results at the final review of the year last week.…
Tacon enters final week as GCA
Fresh Produce Journal – 28th October 2020
Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has announced she will step down from the role at the end of this week, handing over to successor Mark White.
Tacon, who was the inaugural adjudicator, setting up the organisation seven years ago and establishing it as the arbiter of supermarket-supplier relations, was due to step down earlier this year but agreed to stay on to oversee issues arising out of the Covid pandemic.
Christine Tacon marks final week in role as GCA
26th October 2020 – GOV.UK
Christine Tacon, the UK’s first Groceries Code Adjudicator, has announced she will step down from the role at the end of this week, handing over to her successor Mark White.
She said:
…I agreed to stay on beyond the end of my second term to oversee any COVID-related issues that may have arisen in the early days and weeks of the pandemic.
Christine Tacon fires parting shot over second wave supermarket delistings
The Grocer – 23rd October 2020
Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has fired a warning shot to retailers facing a new demand spike because of further lockdown measures, saying that what was acceptable delisting behaviour in March would not wash with the watchdog in the second wave.…
MDS and Redfox in graduate push
Fresh Produce Journal – 17th September 2020
Redfox and Management Development Services (MDS) have announced a new initiative to help MDS graduates secure roles with horticultural businesses.
MDS is the leading training provider in the fresh produce sector, and has expanded steadily as companies seek to safeguard their future by attracting and providing training for the highest-calibre recruits.…
Why the new Groceries Code Adjudicator might be just what the industry needs
The Grocer – 21st July 2020
So the government has turned to Mr White to try to ensure a level playing field between suppliers and the supermarkets, with the belated appointment of a new Groceries Code Adjudicator.
Alas, Boris hasn’t seconded Harvey Keitel from his Direct Line ads to bang a few heads together, much as he would have been perfect for the job in many ways.…
GCA still needed to maintain retailer compliance
Food Manufacturer – 17th July 2020
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is still required to ensure retailers comply with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code), according to a Government review.
The review covered the period from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2019 and assessed the GCA’s performance based on evidence from a number of stakeholders. …
Groceries Code Adjudicator still needed and ‘highly effective’, says review
The Grocer – 16 July 2020
The Groceries Code Adjudicator is still needed to ensure retailer compliance with Groceries Supply Code of Practice, the government’s latest review of the body has concluded.
The GCA will therefore be maintained with funding to continue policing the code, according to the statutory review, which assesses the ongoing need for the role every three years.…
GCA welcomes findings of second statutory review
Christine Tacon, the Groceries Code Adjudicator, has warmly welcomed the findings of the Government’s Statutory Review of the GCA’s work between April 2016 and March 2019.
She said: “This is a highly positive report that recognises the importance of the GCA in creating a more level playing field for the groceries sector.
Tesco responds to ‘speculation’ around Aldi ‘price war’ as deadline looms
The Grocer – 9 July 2020
Tesco has insisted its latest push towards everyday low prices is not a ‘price war’ and rejected claims suppliers haven’t been given enough time to respond.
The supermarket unveiled its latest pricing strategy last month, telling branded suppliers they would be expected to match Aldi prices, and promotions would be canned unless they come under its Clubcard loyalty scheme.…
Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon signs off on a high
Horticulture Week – 24th June 2020
GCA’s Christine Tacon is retiring after seven years and has listed her successes in a final newsletter, with 10 out of 13 supermarkets at 92-96% complying the code.
She said: “Since the beginning of the emergency I have been urging suppliers to raise any issues straightaway with the retailers.
Edition 22: News from the Adjudicator
gov.uk – 24th June 2020
Serving the sector through the COVID-19 emergency
I am writing this newsletter as we begin to see the first significant easing of restrictions across the economy. The groceries sector has been operating at full throttle throughout these immensely challenging times and I want to pay tribute to the way both suppliers and retailers have performed to keep supermarket shelves stocked.…
GCA’s tenure instils confidence in suppliers
Food and drink suppliers have been granted more power at the negotiating table after seven years of successful regulation in the groceries sector, according to the exiting Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). Grocery Code Adjudicator Newsletter & Annual Survey 2020
Mills & Reeve Food and Agribusiness – 23rd June 2020
The latest newsletter from the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has been published featuring the GCA’s response to Covid-19 and the 2020 survey results.
This is the final newsletter of Christine Tacon as the outgoing Grocery Code Adjudicator, the new GCA will be announced shortly and Christine Tacon will be staying on for a short period after 24 June to deal with any issues arising from changes to supply arrangements during the early stages of the emergency.…
Biggest barriers to new entrants
Farmers Guardian – Friday 19th June 2020
The amount of capital required to start up as a new entrant alongside misconceptions swirling about the industry are two of the biggest barriers facing young farmers and new entrants across the UK.
Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) webinar, Christine Tacon, Groceries Code Adjudicators and charwomen of the Management Development Services graduate scheme, highlighted misconceptions surrounding careers in agriculture continue to challenge and hamper the industry’s ability to attract new entrants. …
Groceries code compliance
Vegetable Farmer – 1st June 2020
Retailer compliance with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice is at an all-time high, initial analysis of the groceries code adjudicator’s annual survey has found.
Of the almost 1,500 direct suppliers who responded to the survey, 36% said they had
experienced a code-related issue in the past 12 months.…
Adjudicator Stays On
British Farmer & Grower – 1st June 2020
Christine Tacon has been re-appointed as Groceries Code Adjudicator for a period of up to six months.
Ms Tacon was due to complete her term in June, but will stay on to provide “continuity and reassurance” as supply chains feel the impacts of coronavirus.…
Suppliers report fall in fines for ‘drop and drive’ deliveries
The Grocer – 29th May 2020
Suppliers have saved tens of millions thanks to sweeping changes to the ‘drop and drive’ procedures that saw them fined for inaccurate deliveries to supermarkets
Read the full article here.…
Christine Tacon: COVID-19-related delistings prompt no issues yet
Food Manufacturer – 22nd May 2020
At an online press briefing on 22 May covering the results of the latest Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) supplier survey, Tacon said she had contacted all GSCOP compliance officers at retailers covered by the code in the past week.…
Co-op shoots up rankings in Tacon’s final GSCOP survey
The Grocer – 21st May 2020
The Co-op has been praised for a “massive improvement” in its behaviour towards suppliers, as it rose from third from bottom to second from top in adjudicator Christine Tacon’s final YouGov supplier survey, published this week.…
Groceries survey shows UK supermarket compliance at record high
New Food – 18th May 2020
Early analysis of suppliers’ responses to the comprehensive annual groceries sector survey has shown that retailer compliance with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice is at “an all-time high”.
UK supermarkets have achieved a record improvement in their dealings with groceries suppliers, UK Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon has revealed in her final GCA survey.…
Survey shows retailer-supplier dealings continue to improve
Farmers Weekly – 14th May 2020
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has reported a record improvement in retailers’ trading relationships with their suppliers.
Adjudicator Christine Tacon acts as a watchdog for dealings between suppliers and the 13 largest UK retailers through the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.…
Number of suppliers experiencing GSCOP-related issues continues to fall
The Grocer – 13th May 2020
Supermarket behaviour in dealing with suppliers is at an all-time high, despite the pressures of coronavirus, according to an official survey by Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon.
A YouGov survey of almost 1,500 direct suppliers, on behalf of the GCA, found more than a third (36%) said they had experienced a code-related issue with one of the 13 retailers covered by GSCOP in the past 12 months – down from 41% in 2019.…
Will Covid-19 spark change in the UK supplier payment terms?
Just Food – 13th May 2020
Read the full article here.
…Christine Tacon, the UK’s Groceries Code Adjudicator, is impressed with the progress – not least because her own supplier surveys are also showing delays in payments have tumbled down the list of concerns.
Groceries sector survey shows supermarket behaviour at a record high
Groceries Code Adjudicator – 13th May 2020
The UK’s supermarkets have achieved a record improvement in their dealings with
groceries suppliers, Christine Tacon’s seventh and final GCA survey has revealed.
Read the full press release here.…
Christine Tacon extends GCA contract to provide continuity through coronavirus outbreak
The Grocer – 27th April 2020
Tacon had been due to stand down in June, seven years after taking up the role
“I want to play my part in the response to Covid-19”, the adjudicator said
Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has agreed to stay in the post for a further six months, amid fears GSCOP is coming under pressure from retailers during the coronavirus outbreak.…
Christine Tacon to continue as Groceries Code Adjudicator
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy – 27th April 2020
Christine Tacon will continue as Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) for a period of up to 6 months.
Small Business Minister Paul Scully today (Monday 27 April) confirmed the reappointment of Christine Tacon CBE as the Groceries Code Adjudicator for a period of up to 6 months.…
Webinar: ‘Will grocery retail be disrupted by coronavirus? We discuss with our leading industry experts’
Listen again here. Access Code: 3K.@Wz7&
The potential impact of coronavirus to the retail economy is as of yet unfathomable, as shoppers turn to survival mode. Groceries and household essentials are the only port in this storm. Beanstalk discuss how this will shape future retail with experts.…
Coronavirus shouldn’t affect GSCOP, Tacon tells supermarket bosses
The Grocer – 14th April 2020
Tacon has urged retailers to use the flexibility within the code.
-
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- Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has asked retailers to withdraw their requests for elements of the code to be suspended.
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- Last month Morrisons CEO David Potts asked the government to allow the delisting of products without giving suppliers reasonable notice”.
Webinar: ‘We look to predict the fresh food landscape 18 months post COVID-19 with our expert industry guest speakers’
Listen again here. Access Code: I4$yq82&
Aired: Tuesday 14th April 15:00 BST.
Panelists: Christine Tacon CBE – Groceries Code Adjudicator, Shaun Browne – Co-Head Corporate Finance, UK at Houlihan Lokey, Sterling Crew – Chair of The Food Authenticity Network’s Advisory Board, Sarah Calcutt – Partners in Produce Ltd, Ben Makowiecki – Area Director Agriculture for Lloyds Banking Group, Max MacGillivray – Editor in Chief for Beanstalk & Webinar Host.…
My Life In The Grocery Trade
Ulster Grocer – 1st April 2020
…
Christine Tacon calls for retailers to help suppliers facing cashflow problems
The Grocer – 27th March 2020
Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has made an extraordinary intervention in a bid to help suppliers facing a cashflow crisis from the coronavirus outbreak.
Tacon has always previously refused to give any guidance on payment terms, because the issue is not covered in GSCOP.…
Coronavirus: Groceries Code Adjudicator issues guidance for supply chain
Food Manufacturer – 17th march 2020
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has urged retailers and suppliers to work tog ether but has called on them to follow some “guiding principles”.
It said there were “considerable challenges” facing retailers and suppliers as they worked together to ensure customers had access to food and other essentials during the COVID-19 outbreak.…
GSCOP – Get trained, know the code, speak up!
Spend Matters – 25th February 2020
We haven’t heard from 4C Associates in some time, but they look to have been busy with new hires and a new website. We’ll be catching up with business developments soon. But for now, Simon Latham, a senior manager with the procurement consultancy, shares his thoughts on The Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP), having worked at JS, Safeway and Tesco where he wrote Tesco’s GSCOP training material and trained over 3,000 people.…
GCA reaches out to small suppliers
Speciality Food – 10 February 2020
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), Christine Tacon, has launched the seventh annual survey, which provides suppliers with the opportunity to express any Groceries Supply Code of Practice issues. The survey has enabled Christine, as the UK’s first GCA, to achieve progress for suppliers, demonstrate where retailer efforts have improved Code compliance and identify areas for improvement.…
GCA opens annual survey
Fresh Produce Journal – 07 February 2020
Christine Tacon launches final survey of suppliers as Groceries Code Adjudicator before her term ends in June
The Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has launched her annual survey of supermarket suppliers, ten years on from when the Groceries Supply Code of Practice came into force. …
New Markets: New Opportunities in 2020
Lexology – 06 February 2020
The turn of a year into a new decade sharpens our focus on what’s happening in our market and what may affect our future. Scotland Food and Drink’s target value for the sector of £30bn by 2030 seems significantly closer in February 2020 than it did when we hosted our annual conference in November 2019!…
After 10 years of GSCOP, what’s changed – and what’s left to do?
The Grocer – 05 February 2020
This week the Groceries Supply Code of Practice reached a major milestone: its 10-year anniversary. Introduced to ensure the country’s largest retailers treat their suppliers lawfully and fairly, the landscape for groceries suppliers has changed enormously since 4 February 2010.…
Women in Food and Agriculture event proves to be a great success
Farming Life – 09 January 2020
Over 300 delegates from 26 countries made their way to Amsterdam for the inaugural Women in Food & Agriculture Summit.
The agribusiness and food event brought together some of the sector’s most progressive and disruptive thinkers with an audience that wanted to openly debate the inclusivity and diversity of the agri-food industry.…
Women in agribusiness: ‘We are not men in skirts’
Farmers Journal – 25 December 2019
Following seven years as the UK’s Groceries Code Adjudicator, Christine Tacon speaks to Amii McKeever about her background, why she is leaving this role and women in agribusiness.
Click here to view the full article. …
GCA’s self-regulation proposal: the big misunderstanding
The Grocer – 17th December 2019
Suppliers are concerned and retailers are confused. Christine Tacon, the outgoing Groceries Code Adjudicator, said in her final annual conference she wanted “to see the retailers build for themselves a whole-organisation approach to code compliance”.…
UK grocery watchdog has dramatically changed dysfunctional UK supermarkets
Farmers Journal – 05 November 2019
Since taking office in 2013, the UK’s grocery code adjudicator has delivered dramatic behavioural change in how UK supermarkets treat suppliers.
Click here to view the full article. …
Christine Tacon urges government to stick with ‘collaborative’ GCA approach
The Grocer – 27th August 2019
Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has urged the government not to ditch her “collaborative” approach to tackling retailer-supplier disputes, as she presses ahead with plans for a system of self-regulation.
Responding to a statutory review of the role by Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Tacon produced written support from supermarkets and food and drink companies.…
Christine Tacon’s exit announcement will surely make suppliers nervous
The Grocer – 24th June 2019
Read the full article here.…
Outgoing UK grocery business adjudicator sets out new approach to regulation
Just Food – 25th June 2019
The UK government body overseeing the behaviour of the country’s large supermarket chains has set out a new compliance strategy.
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), Christine Tacon, told the organisation’s annual conference in London yesterday (24 June) that her aim is to drive effective top-to-bottom compliance risk management by the retailers she regulates. …
Aldi tops GCA annual survey for 6th year with Co-op the most improved
Farmers Guardian – 25th June 2019
97 per cent of suppliers said Aldi complies consistently well or mostly well with the code.
Aldi has topped the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) annual survey for the sixth year, with 97 per cent of suppliers stating the retailer complied well or mostly well with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP).…
Retail supplier complaints hit new low
Fresh Produce Journal – 24h June 2019
Aldi again named most Code-compliant supermarket in annual report by Groceries Code Adjudicator
The number of supplier complaints against supermarkets has fallen to a new low, the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s new annual report indicates.…
Suppliers call for Amazon to be regulated by Groceries Code Adjudicator
Yorkshire Post – 24th June 2019
Food and drink suppliers have called for online giant Amazon to come under the watch of the grocery industry regulator.
Amazon and Boots were the two retailers which received the most requests from suppliers to come under the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator, according to its annual survey.…
Groceries Code Adjudicator to step down
Retailers to be given ‘self-policing GSCOP role as Adjudicator steps down
The Grocer – 24th June 2019
Read the full article here.…
Christine Tacon could face plenty of flak in the BEIS review of the GCA
Read the full article Waitrose and Ocado to sign up to supplier audit respite pledge
The Grocer – 20th June 2019
Read the full article here. …
Christine Tacon: suppliers can learn from GSCOP-regulated retailers on payment terms
The Grocer- 30th May 2019
The regulated retailers have told Tacon that being code compliant has improved their internal efficiency.
Read the article here.…
As next GCA league table looms, here’s what suppliers need to look out for
The Grocer – 29th May 2019
In six years, Tacon’s collaborative approach has improved retailer compliance and seen millions returned direct to victim suppliers. It is not just working, it has become the envy of many other countries
On 24 June, at the Grocer Code Adjudicator’s annual conference, we will see the new league table of retailer compliance.…
IOD Director Of The Year Finalist
Groceries Code Adjudicator Announced as IOD London and South Director of the Year Awards Finalist
Christine Tacon has been shortlisted for the public sector director of the year at the 2019 IoD London & South Director of the Year Awards.
The finalists were chosen from the hundreds of directors that entered or were nominated across nine different categories. …
The Times: 16/05/2019
MPs upset as groceries watchdog rejects extra powers
The grocery regulator has clashed with MPs after they accused her of not being willing to take on powers that would provide more extensive protection to supermarket suppliers.
The business, energy and industrial strategy committee expressed frustration with Christine Tacon, the Groceries Code Adjudicator, after she said she did not need any more powers and resisted offering a view on a number of issues affecting suppliers.…
Farmers Guardian: 03/05/2019
Gender equality: Why British agriculture is in need of a culture change
With gender equality in the workplace rising up the agenda, Christine Tacon spoke to Olivia Midgley about why she thinks agriculture is in need of a culture change.
Throughout her 40 years in business, Christine Tacon has enjoyed senior roles at some of the world’s biggest companies, including Mars, Vodafone and Anchor/Fonterra.
News from the Adjudicator
The Times: 26/03/2019
Co-op escapes fine despite adjudicator’s scathing criticism
The Co-operative Group has avoided a fine from the grocery regulator despite being found guilty of “widespread” failings in how it treated its suppliers.
A year-long investigation by the Groceries Code Adjudicator found that the supermarket had dropped suppliers’ products without due notice, levied unfair charges on them and unreasonably varied their supply deals.
The Grocer: 26/03/2019
GCA got the right result on Co-op code compliance breaches
Read the full article here.
by Ronan Hegarty…
The Grocer: 13/12/18
The Times: 02/11/2018
Ocado and B&M join grocery code
The supermarket industry watchdog is to start monitoring how Ocado and B&M Homestores treat suppliers after their respective annual turnovers passed the £1 billion mark.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that Ocado, the online grocer, and B&M, the cut-price retailer, would be bound by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, which governs how suppliers are treated to avoid abuses of power.
Simply Supply Chain: 30/10/2018
Letter to The Grocer, October 2018
Dear Sir
As reported last week in The Grocer ‘Women in Agribusiness Award’ the USA appear to have recognised Christine Tacon, The Grocery Code Adjudicator’s, impact on the UK Grocery retailers more fully than some of our own institutions….…
The Grocer: 12/10/2018
Amazon should face Adjudication over conduct, claim suppliers
Read the full article here: Amazon Article…
Demeter Award of Excellence
Women In Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence 2018
Hailed as a “dynamic businesswoman who has had a major impact in agribusiness and the food sector”, Christine Tacon is credited with transforming the largest farmer co-operative in the UK from operating at a huge loss to ending with an $8 million profit, and a $30 million increase in revenue.…
The Grocer: 31/08/2018
Christine Tacon wins Women in Agriculture Award of Excellence
Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has won a major international award for her “dynamic” work.
Tacon, who took up the role in 2013, was nominated by peers to receive the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence in the US.…
The Grocer: 29/06/2018
The Grocer: 28/06/2018
The Grocer: 25/06/2018
The Grocer: 21/06/2018
The Grocer: 21/06/2018
The Grocer: 15/06/2018
The Grocer: 02/05/2018
As suppliers face Sainsbury’s-Asda squeeze, who can help them?
Adjudicator Christine Tacon said today that size did not matter when it came to the prospect of her protecting suppliers from a combined Sainsbury’s and Asda behemoth.
“Size makes no difference to my ability to regulate them,” Tacon told members of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee when asked by chairman Neil Parish what she planned to do to stop the companies “stitching up” their supplier base.…
The Grocer: 30/04/2018
How scared should suppliers be about the Sainsbury’s-Asda merger?
Sainsbury’s doesn’t much like its suppliers. Harsh, perhaps. But it’s got form, going back years, particularly on the branded side, where it’s regularly gone out of its way to drive customers towards own-label lines, through ad campaigns, till vouchers and other mechanics.…
The Independent: 30/04/2018
The Sainsbury’s-Asda merger goes to the heart of what we can expect from post-Brexit Britain
The business world seems to have been taken aback by the revelation of plans for a merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda, despite the proposal being seemingly well-advanced.…
NAMNEWS: 23/04/2018
Tesco Working To Ensure Booker Is GSCOP Compliant
Tesco is urgently working with buyers at Booker to ensure its newly enlarged business is compliant with GSCOP rules.
With the Code currently only covering the top 10 supermarkets in the UK, Booker’s activities have not previously been covered by the Adjudicator, Christine Tacon. …
The Grocer: 18/04/2018
Morrisons Boost Supplier Transparency with Online Portal
Morrisons has announced the launch of a new online supplier portal it claims will boost transparency and long-term relationships with its supplier base. The retailer said the move was a response to concerns from suppliers and followed other moves to simplify trading relationships in its supply chain.The
Financial Times: 12/04/2018
EU eyes crackdown on unfair practices by powerful food buyers
Brussels is proposing a crackdown on powerful food buyers that force predatory terms on small suppliers, in a move to protect producers that has alarmed some large European retailers.
Phil Hogan, EU agriculture commissioner, will on Thursday unveil a package of reforms to ban “unfair” contract terms and empower national authorities to police the conduct of big buyers such as supermarkets and food production companies. …
The Grocer: 15/03/18
The Grocer: 19/2/2018
Taking Tacon down the farm was never going to wash
It’s no wonder farming groups are disappointed by the government’s decision not to extend the powers of the Groceries Code Adjudicator, Christine Tacon, to cover primary producers.
Going back now at least three years, they have been strung along by successive governments into holding out hope that the Adjudicator might be ordered to descend like an avenging angel to stop them being bullied by the big, bad supermarkets.…
The Grocer: 27/11/2017
Time for a new approach to food assurance
Does anyone remember the Efra Committee episode where Neil Parish et al tried to get Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon to answer questions on farmgate prices, despite the fact her role doesn’t have anything to do with meat and dairy farmers, or pricing?…
Food Manufacture: 20/07/2017
Food Suppliers ‘Must Open Up About Retailer Abuse’
Suppliers were “finally opening up” but could still be “more forthcoming” in coming forward with their issues with retailers, Christine Tacon claimed.
Writing in her Annual Report and Accounts for 2016-2017, published at the end of June, Tacon reassured suppliers’ that their identities would be protected.…
Farmers Weekly: 19/07/2017
‘Climate Of Fear’ Must Be Tackled In Grocery Market
The supermarket watchdog is making significant progress tackling unfair trading in the grocery supply chain, but more must be done to tackle the “climate of fear” that stops suppliers speaking out.
That is the conclusion of the government’s statutory review of the Grocery Code Adjudicator (GCA), which also said the GCA had led to a positive “cultural shift” among supermarkets in the way they treat their suppliers.…
Groceries Code Adjudicator Annual Conference Report
Groceries Code Review
Significant Cultural Change In Supermarket Industry
Small Business Minister Margot James has welcomed a positive relationship change between supermarkets and their suppliers, as she publishes the first Statutory Review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) today.
The review, which considered independent findings from YouGov alongside responses from trade associations, supermarkets and suppliers, found that the GCA, Christine Tacon CBE, has been effective in exercising her powers and enforcing the Groceries Code.…
Press Coverage: The Grocer
How the Adjudicator has changed grocery
The Groceries Code Adjudicator’s annual conference in Westminster carried additional significance this year as it marked the end of Christine Tacon’s first term and raised questions about the organisation’s long-term direction and future remit.
The organisation has undoubtedly had a positive impact on the grocery sector.…
CCH Daily: 30/06/2017
People in the news.
Consumer Minister Margot James has announced the reappointment of Christine Tacon CBE as the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). Having held the role since its launch, Tacon has overseen significant progress in compliance with the Groceries Code. In 2015 she investigated alleged Code breaches by Tesco, which resulted in the supermarket adopting fairer payment practices and improved transparency in all its dealings with suppliers.…
Farmers Weekly: 26/06/2017
Supermarket treatment of suppliers – the good, bad and ugly
Asda and Iceland have come bottom of a league table ranking UK supermarkets on fair trading practices with suppliers, while Aldi and Sainsburys have come top.
Read the full article here.
… Horticulture Week: 26/06/2017
Unfair packaging charges reduced says adjudicator, but payment delays still troubling
Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon says the latest polling data from supermarket suppliers “demonstrate major progress across key issues” during her four years in the role. But she says payment delays remain a major issue.…
The Guardian: 26/06/2017
Asda is named worst supermarket in treatment of suppliers.
Asda has been named as the worst of the UK’s major supermarkets in its treatment of suppliers. It dropped below Morrisons, which was bottom of the list last year, as the Bradford-based chain took action to improve its performance according to a survey of more than 1,200 grocery suppliers by the industry watchdog.…
Fresh Produce Journal: 26/06/2017
Groceries Code Adjudicator agrees to a further year in the post, while new survey suggests her work is having a major impact
Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has confirmed that she will continue for a further year, while the new government evaluates the role’s remit.…
