Speaking during an in-depth piece in Sunday's Telegraph (25 February 2007), Mr Kendall calls for the 'retail monoliths', Asda, W M Morrison, Tesco and J Sainsbury, to start walking the walk when it comes to their claims of local and ethical sourcing, green practices and caring for the environment.
Quoting directly from the article, Peter said: "They are all talking about sustainability but, I'll put in bluntly, 18p for a litre of milk ain't sustainable...Supermarkets are talking the game...my challenge is to hold them to account. It can't just be about rhetoric before announcing results. It has got to be about delivery."
While Peter recognises that farming must work with retailers, as they have done sucessfully for years, he is determined to strike a better deal for Britain's farmers and growers.
The NFU's recent and upcoming work in calling supermarkets to task, includes:
- Highlighting dairy farmers unhappiness over milk pricing
- Establishing a 'responsibility index' for retailers
- Calling for a government-appointed auditor to assess how trading practices operate between farmer and retailer
- Giving evidence to the Competition Commission's investigation
Joining Peter on stage at the conference will be Justin King, chief exec of J Sainsbury and Secretary of State David Miliband.
To read the full interview in Sunday Telegraph - 'Cheap food is morally questionable' -by James Hall click here
TheFishSite News Desk