UK wants to end unfair practices in egg supply chain

“It follows a series of global challenges experienced by the egg sector, including increased energy and feed costs, which have raised questions about the fairness of the supply chain. In turn, creating fairer supply chains will help to ensure that producers can operate with greater confidence and protect consumers’ access to high-welfare British eggs,” Defra says.

Food and Farming Secretary Thérèse Coffey: “Producers should be paid a fair price for their high-quality produce, which is why we are committed to ensure there is fairness across food supply chains. At the Farm to Fork summit in May, the government pledged to support the farmers by undertaking a review into the egg sector to ensure fairness moving forward. I would now encourage all stakeholders from across the industry to take part in this review to ensure their voices are heard.”

British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) CEO Robert Gooch agrees: “BFREPA has been calling for a review of egg supply agreements for producers for some time and welcomes this consultation on fairness in the egg supply chain. The consultation on the workings of the egg supply chain is needed to provide further stability for the sector and to ensure that there is no repeat of egg shortages in the future.”

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) deputy chief executive, Gary Ford, adds: “The BEIC welcomes the supply chain fairness review and will be promoting the consultation to all stakeholders in the supply chain.”

The review will focus on understanding how the contractual arrangements within the sector currently function, and whether there is the need for further legislation to oversee the relationship between producers and buyers where necessary and facilitate a fairer and more transparent supply chain.