Supply chain research
For years, Feedback have been investigating the supply chains of some of Europe’s largest retailers – what we’ve uncovered is shocking. In 2016, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation Feedback conducted extensive research into supply chain food waste in Peru, Senegal, South Africa, the UK and a major European port. The report’s findings show a concentration of power in the groceries sector has allowed supermarkets to dictate the terms and conditions by which food is grown, harvested, and transported, and that this concentration of power has given supermarkets the power to force suppliers to waste food through stringent cosmetic specifications and unfair rejections of food.
We’ve met with farmers in the UK, Kenya, Peru and Senegal who have all been forced to waste food on their farms for two major reasons.
Supermarkets dictate strict product specifications to farmers meaning that they’ll only buy fruits and vegetables that fit demanding size, shape and colour specifications – regardless of the nutrition, taste and value of the food. On top of this, last minute order cancellations by supermarkets and the businesses they are supplied by leave many farmers without any compensation and no market to sell their food to.
To make sure the stories of those most affected by unfair trading practises are listened to we teamed up with Avaaz and launched a massive petition signed by over 1 million people! We won’t stop fighting for farmers to be treated fairly. Want to stay up to date on our latest research and campaigns? Sign-up today by clicking here.
Read more:
Why we need to think beyond household bins to solve food waste
Feedback calls on supermarkets to do more to cut food waste
Pressure from the food waste movement causes supermarket giants to tackle food waste