Nick Marston, chair of British Berry Growers, comments on the proposed changes from the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex) to its audit regime (SMETA 7.0) which could require farming and growing businesses to pay for the recruitment and transportation fees (employer pays principle) of the seasonal workers they employ in a so-called 'employer pays principle':
"British berry growers employ thousands of seasonal workers annually to help pick berries and work on our farms. The new SMETA 7.0 auditing requirements could cost the berry industry an extra £60 million annually. That is simply unsustainable and could wipe out the berry sector at a stroke.
"The new requirements have been introduced without proper consultation and ahead of "a BRC (British Retail Consortium) and Defra impact assessment into the workability of the employer pays principle. That assessment is due to be completed in Spring 2025. Right now, there is no clarity on how the supply chain is going to pay for these new requirements, we are very concerned that growers could be forced to foot the bill. A bill they simply cannot afford."
"This new standard has the potential to cause chaos and stress in the berry industry if introduced without appropriate consultation across the whole supply chain."
Voicing the British Berry Growers, he points out the following actions to be taken:
- The current requirement for the employer to pay for travel and visa costs to be removed from the SEDEX 7.0 audit.
- The British Retail Consortium to confirm that no action will be taken if suppliers do not meet these targets.
- A fair consultation across the whole supply chain. In the future, all Farm Packhouse Assurance Schemes should have a mandatory requirement for a proper governance structure that allows for full consultation of all stakeholders and considers all the consequences of the scheme requirements, including both cost and practical.
- A separate cost line within retailer pricing if the Employer Pays Principal and other standards (e.g. the increasing cost of travel linked to net zero surcharges) are adopted so that the cost to growers is fully recognized and recompensed.
"The burden of the cost cannot be absorbed by our members without the cost being underwritten by either retailers or the government. There are serious implications for the UK food price inflation and security."
For more information:
British Berry Growers
Tel: +44 20 7575 7654
Email: [email protected]