Responsibility for the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), which regulates relationships between the UK’s largest supermarkets and their direct suppliers, will shift from the Department for Business and Trade to DEFRA from 1 July 2026.
The change is designed to create a more “joined-up” approach to food supply chain oversight, aligning the GCA more closely with DEFRA’s wider remit supporting farmers, growers and food producers.
The GCA will continue to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, which regulates issues such as delayed payments, unilateral contract changes and dispute resolution between supermarkets and suppliers.