Agriculture ministers agree to provide $1.2 million to establish grocery code of conduct office

The government is providing $1.2 million in short-term funding to set up a grocery code adjudicator office.

Federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture agreed to provide funding for an office to oversee the industry-led code of conduct after news broke Thursday (July 18) that Walmart and Costco had signed on.

In May, Loblaw CEO Per Bank said the retailer would sign the code as long as other retailers do as well.

The code—which now has support from Canada’s major food retailers Empire (Sobeys), Metro, Loblaw, Walmart and Costco—aims to bring more fairness, transparency, and predictability to Canada's grocery supply chain and for consumers. 

In April, The Canadian Press reported it had obtained documents showing the industry steering committee requested around $1.8 million to establish the office to oversee the code.