Executive Summary of the FBiS Audit for printing

THE CONTRIBUTION OF FOOD RETAILING TO SOCIETY & TO THE ECONOMY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Food retailing plays a major role in today’s society and economy. The importance of the sector lies in its position at the forefront of the value chain. Whereas historically food retailers were regarded as mere intermediaries in the flow of goods between suppliers and shoppers, they now occupy an essential function in the lives of consumers. Retailers are thus close to consumers and are in an ideal position to understand their changing needs. However, this primary role of food retailers is often either not recognised or else interpreted in a negative way. The retail sector as a whole is in many instances viewed as having a damaging influence, whether in terms of employment conditions, competition practices, product quality or environmental impact. In order to measure the real record of food retailing, CIES – The Food Business Forum, in the framework of its Food Business in Society Initiative, decided to commission an “Audit” from Templeton College, University of Oxford, on the contribution of the sector to society. The report draws on a range of sources to measure the impact of food retailers in three interlinked areas: § The economy § Employment § Society 1 FOOD BUSINESS IN SOCIETY 2 FOOD BUSINESS IN SOCIETY KEY FINDINGS The Audit finds that food retailers have a considerable impact in each of these three interlinked areas. ...