Business Forum Report Published: How Do We Make European Food Supply Chains More Sustainable and Fair?

• @supply_chainge

Due to appealing prices and high trust in major retail chains, store brand products can be found in almost every European household. In 2015 the share of supermarket store brand products was estimated to reach 40 percent of all EU food retail sales. However, our food supply chains face a host of issues including the widespread use of antibiotics in raising livestock, poor labour standards, a complex and frequently non-binding regulatory framework and a lack of transparency for consumers.  But the power of the supermarkets also offers opportunity. Only five retailers in Europe currently hold 50% of the market share. Along with increases in quality and affordability, the concentration and globalisation of food chains provides a unique position to help develop and encourage more sustainable and fair practices.

The CSCP organised a Forum as part of the EU funded SUPPLY CHA!NGE project aimed to initiate and capture a collaborative dialogue among key stakeholders. The goal was to identify and promote strategies for more sustainable supermarket supply chains through knowledge and good practice sharing, establishment of alliances and networks, and determining business solutions that appeal across the board.

The Forum hosted about 80 participants from all over Europe and beyond, representing the retailer, supplier, policy maker, and consumer perspectives. Panelists and speakers gave a comprehensive overview of the issues and opportunities throughout different stages of food supply chains as well as different perspectives. This fed into lively discussions among participants on key leverage points and concrete collaborative solutions. With food sourced from across the globe and retailers serving increasingly international markets, inputs from Latin American and Africa were key to enrich the diverse and fruitful exchange of ideas.

Our latest report SUPPLY CHA!NGE in European Food Chains captures the outcomes of the Business Forum and analyses and explores the challenges relating to the complex, heterogeneous, and globalised nature of European food supply chains and their implications in the context of supermarket store brands. Asserting the need to implement a holistic and multi-stakeholder approach, the report also identifies opportunities and provides recommendations for the process of making these supply chains more sustainable.

This report is addressed to all actors involved throughout food supply chains including farmers, suppliers, retailers, consumers, policy, and decision makers. It is a starting point from which all actors can see where they fit in and what needs to change. There is a strong focus on retailers as the catalysts and driving agents towards improving the sustainability performance of European food supply chains.

To learn more about the forum, the topics discussed, and the outcomes of our conversations, please visit the SUPPLY CHA!NGE Business Forum webpage  and download the report you will find below.