The petition of residents of the constituency of Glastonbury and Somerton,
Declares that this summer’s extreme heat has left cosmetically imperfect but safe, nutritious fruit and vegetables rejected at the farm gate, with one surplus food redistributor alone taking in 6,000 rejected cauliflower heads in a single week; further declares that rigid retailer cosmetic specifications are forcing farmers to destroy edible produce while shortfalls are filled by imports; further notes that new analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit warns 2026 could be the worst UK harvest on record, with dairy farmers already losing 18.5 million litres in milk yields and growers facing water abstraction cessations; and further declares that food security is national security, and that this waste deepens the UK's reliance on imports at the exact moment self-sufficiency matters most.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to take urgent action to end the waste of cosmetically imperfect fruit and vegetables, by working with retailers to relax rigid cosmetic specifications and end unfair sourcing practices, introducing stronger powers for the Groceries Code Adjudicator to guarantee farmers a fair price, and bringing forward legislation to establish a national food strategy including creating statutory duties relating to food security and access to affordable, healthy food.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Sarah Dyke, Official Report, 02 September 2026; Vol. 790, c. 424.]
[P003234]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Stephen Morgan):
The Government recognise the importance of reducing avoidable food waste and ensuring that safe, nutritious food is used wherever possible. We also recognise the pressures that growers can face when produce is rejected on specification grounds, including where fruit and vegetables are cosmetically imperfect but remain suitable for consumption.
The Government have been developing proposals for fair dealings regulations for the fresh produce sector. These regulations are intended to improve fairness and transparency in contractual relationships between growers and their buyers, including by increasing clarity around supply terms, forecasting, variation, rejection processes and the grounds on which produce may be refused.
Greater clarity in these areas should help growers understand and plan for the specifications they are expected to meet and provide a clearer basis for discussion where produce is rejected. While commercial specifications are a matter for retailers and their suppliers, the Government expect fair, transparent and responsible sourcing practices across the supply chain. As part of this work, DEFRA is also consulting on ways to create clearer expectations within contracts, so producers have a better understanding of how much to produce and minimise the risk of unsold produce.
To further strengthen fairness across the UK’s food supply chain and better support farmers and food producers, responsibility for the Groceries Code Adjudicator transferred from the Department for Business and Trade to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 1 July 2026. This transfer will help promote policy alignment between the Groceries Code Adjudicator and Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator, support more coherent oversight of supply chain regulation, and streamline ministerial oversight and parliamentary accountability. Moving GCA sponsorship under DEFRA aligns the regulator’s work with the Department’s wider role.
This work sits alongside wider Government priorities to support British farmers and growers, strengthen domestic food production and improve the resilience of the food supply chain. Food security is national security, and reducing unnecessary waste of edible produce is an important part of making the best use of the food we grow.
The Government will continue to work with the fresh produce sector, retailers and representative bodies to encourage practical approaches that minimise waste, support growers and maintain consumer access to affordable, healthy food.