The roundtable, which will include representatives from Loblaw Companies Ltd., Sobeys’ parent Empire Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Inc. and Unilever Plc, marks a new phase in a protracted campaign to establish a code of conduct for the food industry. Advocates say a code would end the historic power imbalance between big grocers and their suppliers, and even help tamp down rising food inflation.
The trade associations agreed that the next step is to get professionals from the field to sit down and “tackle the major subjects,” including what sorts of products and dealings should be covered by a code. The discussions so far appear to have made headway on a key issue, with all lobby groups involved in agreement that the code should be mandatory and enforceable, though it’s still not clear how it will be enforced.
As of this week, the so-called “cross-industry working group” involves senior leaders from food companies behind some of the biggest brands in the world, including PepsiCo, Unilever, and Danone S.A., the Financial Post has confirmed. Canada’s top three grocers, Loblaw, Sobeys’ parent Empire and Metro Inc., will also be involved, along with the Western Canadian grocer Save-On-Foods. Roughly 30 companies and organizations are participating.