In this section of the website you can find information about the dialogue with the retail business as well as policy advocacy that is taking place in the scope of the SUPPLY CHA!NGE project. You can find more elaborate information in English on the international version of this page.

Learn more about our collaboration with the retail industry

More information on our policy advocacy work

The Business Forum ‘SUPPLY CHA!NGE in European Food Chains’ took place on the 23^rd and 24^th of October 2015 at the HOST exhibition in Milan, official partner of the EXPO. As a component of the SUPPLY CHA!NGE project the event has been funded by the European Union in the European Year of Development 2015. By initiating a collaborative dialogue among relevant stakeholders the forum aims to build and promote strategies for more sustainable supermarket store brand supply chains through knowledge and good experience sharing, establishment of alliances and networks as well as discussing agreeable business solutions.

The Forum hosted about 80 participants from all over Europe and beyond representing the retailer, supplier, policy makers, civil society and consumer perspectives on the enhancement of more sustainable and fair supermarket supply chains. Panelists and speakers gave a comprehensive overview of the issues and opportunities on different stages of the supply chain which fed into lively discussions among participants. Inputs from Latin American and African representatives enriched the diverse and fruitful exchange of ideas.

After identifying issues of food supply chains, the participants discussed leverage points and concrete collaborative solutions in interactive workshop sessions.

To find out more about the event and the topics discussed please take a look at the international version of this webpage, where the Business Forum is fully documented.

Although the SUPPLY CHA!NGE Consortium does believe in the power of consumer choices and is cooperating with business stakeholders in order to lobby for change in the retail sector, ultimately, ameliorations of the present situation need to be found with regard to legislation.

In 2015, the SUPPLY CHA!NGE campaign has focused on battling unfair trading practices (UTPs), both on the European, as well as on national levels. The debate on Unfair trading practices has first been stirred by a European Commission communication named: “A better functioning food supply chain in Europe.” In the proceeding debate, trade associations had developed a voluntary mechanism on the basis of best practice examples. As a result of this undertaking, the Supply Chain Initiative (SCI) was launched in 2013. This initiative will be revised in the first quarter of 2016. In the scope of this revision, we will engage in lobby work with regard to the European Commission's decision on the proposals of the Supply Chain Initiative. Although the Supply Chain Initiative has been successful in gathering a large number of companies to sign up the voluntary register, the performance indicators chosen by the SCI are far from satisfactory.

 The SUPPLY CHA!NGE campaign will critically follow up on the process initiated by the Supply Chain Initiative. We hold that an independent authority needs to get involved, in order for this process to have an actual impact on the lives of workers and the environmental destruction along global retail supply chains.

Major issues in 2016 and beyond will be the legislation on EU Business and Human Rights (EU BHR) and Corporate Transparency (CT). For updated information on our policy efforts, please refer to the international version of this webpage.