[Greens-Media] Food Plan Needs to Tackle Supermarket Domination - Greens Media Release

[Hetherington, Alison (Sen C. Milne)]

MEDIA RELEASE, Friday 24 May 2013

Food Plan Needs to Tackle Supermarket Domination

The government's National Food Plan needs to fix the supermarket duopoly and its impacts on food producers and consumers if it's to have any credibility, the Australian Greens said today.

"For too long governments have failed to stand up to the two big supermarkets, and our farmers and other food producers have suffered as a result," Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

Greens competition spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, said Australia needs competition policy reform if local producers are to overcome the dominance of the supermarket duopoly and get a fair price for their goods.

"The ACCC needs a boost to its powers to ensure a competitive market place." Senator Whish-Wilson said.

"This includes a temporary ban on expansion by Coles and Woolworths to give the ACCC a chance to thoroughly assess the effects of their market dominance.

"We want laws strengthened to protect farmers and small business from sudden changes to prices and conditions in supply contracts. When supermarkets drop prices to unrealistically low levels to eliminate competition it doesn't reduce long-term price pressures for customers and creates uncertainty for suppliers," Senator Whish-Wilson said.

Senator Milne was critical of the draft food plan when it was released last year and said she expects to see improvements in the final plan.

"The draft food plan was basically a recipe for feeding Australians cheap imported food. It did not address national or international food security, the effects of climate change on agricultural production or what needs to be done to keep farmers on the land, so I am expecting to see those flaws remedied in the final plan," Senator Milne said.

"The draft plan was focussed on the economics of export markets rather than ensuring all Australians had access to well-priced, nutritious food and our farmers get the help they need to stay on the land, including fair prices."

Improvements the Greens are looking for in the final food plan are:

1.       Strategies to ensure all Australians can access and afford fresh, nutritious food.

2.       An  export goal which considers the effects climate change is already having and will have on our arable land and doesn't assume farmers can rely predominantly on exports for prosperity.

3.       Support for farmers to stay on the land, improve farming practices and diversify.

4.       Action on the supermarket duopoly which limits the domestic market for producers and restricts choice for customers.


Media Contact:                      Senator Whish-Wilson: Thomas Moore 0409164603

Senator Milne: Georgie Klug 0438 376 082