Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the British Retail Consortium (X21[a])
Our responses to the additional questions are
as follows:
Would you endorse a policy of all products on
supermarket shelves meeting UK or EU welfare standards that were
above those required under world trade rules?
Retailers will continue to respond to their
customers' needs and design sourcing policies for their own brand
products accordingly. As a point of principle the BRC believes
in a rules-based trading system and we would therefore be concerned
if UK producers were placed at a competitive disadvantage. It
would therefore be helpful to the UK poultry industry for Government
to outline its policy in this area given that a significant amount
of time might be required for the industry to adjust.
What pressure are consumers exerting on supermarkets
to improve animal welfare? To what extent are sales of premium-level
welfare products growing year-on-year?
The interaction between retailers and their
customers is dynamic. Customers requiring specific products will
inform retailers of their requirements, but retailers will also
use a variety of techniques to guage customer wants. A range of
products which have welfare charcteristics are now available,
including free-range, organic and schemes such as "Freedom
Food."
Unfortunately, we do not have data on the size
of the market for the various products available.
How do BRC members audit the provision of "premium-level
welfare standards" (referred to in paragraph 9 of your submission)?
For retailers' own-brand products, adherence
to specification is audited by retailers' own technical staff
and/or by independent third party auditors. Where other bodies
own the schemes (eg Freedom Food, Soil Association), then the
brand owner is responsible for the audit.
Second, Mr Hawkins asked for the opportunity to
confirm what proportion of fresh chicken is sold by BRC members
(questions 81 to 83 of the transcript, which was emailed to you
yesterday, refer)
We believe the figure is in the range of 50-60%.
Finally, Mr Hawkins indicated that he would like
to expand on his answer to the final question he was asked (questions
112 to 113 refer)
Kevin Hawkins will respond directly.
It would be useful to make clear that the BRC
is a membership Trade Association. It is not an enforcement body.
20 June 2003
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