Government launches review of supply chain watchdog

A review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) opened on 13 May 2025, to assess the regulator’s effectiveness at ensuring fairness in supply chains. 

The GCA is responsible for regulating the relationships between the UK’s largest grocery retailers and their direct suppliers. It was set up to monitor and enforce compliance with a code of fair practice.

The statutory review will run until 5 August 2025, and covers the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025. Under the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Act 2013, the Secretary of State for the Department of Business and Trade (DBT) is required to review the efficacy of the GCA every three years. Stakeholders can share their views and evidence on the review’s consultation page.

The review will address how the GCA’s powers have been exercised and how effective the GCA has been in enforcing the code. Other points for consideration include what information the regulator may consider during investigations, and whether to amend the maximum financial penalty for breaches of regulations.

Will White, Sustainable Farming Campaign Coordinator at Sustain, said,

“This is an important opportunity for farmers who’ve experienced unfair or abusive treatment by retailers to make their voices heard - something essential to ensuring the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) is properly enforced. We strongly encourage everyone to share their experiences and contribute to the review. But this comes at a time of extraordinary uncertainty in farming, and it’s clear that a far wider review is needed - not just of how the Groceries Code Adjudicator is performing within its narrow remit, but of whether the whole regulatory system governing the food supply chain is truly protecting farmer livelihoods.”

Read Sustain’s briefing on improving supply chain fairness

Read our explainer about progress towards supply chain fairness