Submission to the Independent Review of the Food and Grocery Code of

Submission to the Independent Review of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct 2023-24 February 2024 Submission to the Food and Grocery Code Review | February 2024 NFF Members 2 Submission to the Food and Grocery Code Review | February 2024 About the NFF The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is the voice of Australian farmers. [...] 22 4 Submission to the Food and Grocery Code Review | February 2024 NFF Submission to the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct Review The NFF welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Independent Review of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct 2023-24. [...] Instead, the existing structures and tools in place have allowed the development of a concerning level of market concentration and the misuse of market power to the detriment of Australian farmers and farm businesses. [...] The ACCC considers the employment relationship between the Code Arbiter and the retailer or wholesaler erodes the actual and perceived independence of the Arbiter, and that the Independent Reviewer will not resolve the Arbiters’ lack of independence. [...] For example, the ACCC received significant reports of concern about the supermarket concentration in the dairy and horticulture industries due to the supermarket's bargaining power and industry-specific supply structures.31 At the time of the PAG Inquiry, the ACCC received fewer concerns from the beef, sheep meat and seafood sectors due to their highly diversified supply channels.32 However, in 20.