Liz Trussโ dream of boosting British cheese exports falls flat in Japan
It’s been five years since the U.K. and Japan signed their trade deal. But Japanese consumers still arenโt buying British.
Supermarkets
People think they know what war is. Hereโs what I learned in seven years on Ukraineโs frontline
Tanks, soldiers, explosions and tears are the cliches that movies and news reels show us. The reality is an integration of horror and the mundane, as those who have chosen to stay cling to as much normality as they canWatch the Guardian documentary her…
Irelandโs โViagra Villageโ in the eye of Trumpโs tariff stormย
Investments by U.S. Big Pharma in Irelandโs County Cork have brought jobs and prosperity. Donald Trumpโs tariffs could change all that.ย
Parliament to begin talks with the Council on unfair trading, amid mounting lobby pressure
A rejected last-minute attempt to re-discuss the chamber’s position unveiled a growing tension between food industry and retailers over the text
Shrinkflation bites as boxes of Quality Street and Celebrations lose weight
Toblerone and Chocolate Orange also smaller this year after poor cocoa harvests in Africa raise cost of raw materialsTucking into a box of Quality Street or Celebrations is a Christmas tradition.But as this yearโs supply arrives in British supermarkets…
Paris urges EU action over banned antibiotics in Ukrainian eggs
The French egg sector warns of “a significant health risk for consumers”, as supermarkets minimise the issue
Croatiaโs euro advice to Bulgaria: Relax, it could be a lot worse
Prices have risen since Croatia adopted the euro, but that doesn’t outweigh the benefits many have enjoyed.
Belgian supermarkets will be allowed to stay open later
The government is set to relax store regulations, allowing businesses to stay open till 9 p.m. and abolishing the mandatory day off.
Lukashenkoโs potato racket sparks outrage from regime opponents
The Belarusian rulerโs price controls have backfired.ย
Yellow hat revolt: Inside Franceโs rural rising
With rural discontent growing, Marine Le Penโs far-right party sees an opportunity ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Deal with EU will make food cheaper and add ยฃ9bn to UK economy, says No 10
Agreement reached to โslash red tapeโ on food products, in exchange for extended EU access to fishing watersUK politics live โ latest updatesA landmark deal clinched between the UK and EU to remove checks on food exports will add ยฃ9bn to the UK economy…
Supermarkets cash in on Gen Z ditching the kitchen
Inspiration for cooking has also shifted, with young people largely replacing cookbooks with one-minute social media videos.
Losing its green: Whoโs to blame for Franceโs organic retreat
Inflation, limited access to organic foods, and a growing return to conventional farming are fuelling a slump in Franceโs organic market.
British food and drink industry call on EU to โresetโ trade ties
Retailers and food producers offer to help efforts to reduce โunnecessary red tapeโ costing industry billions of poundsMore than a dozen of Britainโs biggest retailers and food producers, including Marks & Spencer, J Sainsbury and Asda, have called…
High cost of cheap chocolate: Amid cocoa crisis, prices surge in mass-produced low-quality chocolate
Cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast, the world’s biggest cocoa producer, are struggling as climate change and plant diseases have hurt harvests in recent years. As mass-produced chocolate prices surge in supermarkets and chain stores, our guest Chocolate Mak…
Supermarkets call for EU-UK deal on plant and animal exports
Marks and Spencer and J Sainsbury intervene over veterinary agreement ahead of โresetโ summit next month
From farmland to supermarkets: the growing loss of agricultural land in Europe
In 2022, an analysis by the European Environment Agency (EEA) showed that more than 97,700 km2 of land in the EU had been converted into impervious surfaces.
The new face of French cuisine
For a Black chef taking on haute cuisine, the biggest challenge is not race but economics.
Belgium bans display of tobacco products in shops
The new law is designed to curb impulse purchases of cigarettes and tobacco โ and supermarkets are prohibited from selling them altogether.
Greek exporters push back against Bulgarian 50% national product bill
The move has sparked a strong reaction among neighbouring Greek producers, who said it goes against Europeโs free movement of persons and goods.
Retailer brands on the rise, put pressure on food industry
Due to declining market shares, Nestle is closing two production facilities in Germany
Swedish shoppers boycott supermarkets over โrunawayโ food prices
With the cost of feeding a family up by an estimated ยฃ2,290, consumers, like many across Europe, are taking direct actionMarcel Demir was not impressed. The Swedish student had been monitoring the price of chocolate and crisps and had noticed that both…
German parliament passes historic debt-backed defence and infrastructure package
In todayโs edition of The Capitals, read about France debating whether supermarkets should maintain a minimum 10% margin on food, Draghi warning that Europeโs security is in trouble, Bulgaria risking the loss of โฌ2.5 billion from the EU Social Climate …
France debates supermarkets to keep minimum 10% margin on foods
A new law on French farmers’ incomes, dubbed EGALIM 4, is due to be presented in the spring.
Volkswagen enjoys surprise bestseller amid financial woes: the VW currywurst
Sausage-based snack and โpower bar of the skilled factory workerโ is being bought in record numbers in Lower SaxonyEurope live โ latest updatesIn recent years, Volkswagenโs financial woes may have become emblematic of Germanyโs economic downturn. But, …
Danish supermarkets help customers buy European
“Our job is to deliver what our customers want,” Salling Group’s head of press told Euractiv.
Greece gripped by massive strikes as suspicion and anger boil over
On the two-year anniversary of a train crash that killed 57 people, national protests reflect despair over its handling.
Bulgarian consumers boycott major supermarkets to protest rising food prices
Shoppers are demanding supermarkets limit their profit margins on foodstuffs to less than 30% and want a law that regulates prices.
Why Eastern European countries are boycotting supermarkets
Price increases feel all the more painful when households allocate a larger share of their income to food.
Pro-Russian ex-candidate hijacks Romanian supermarket boycott
Georgescu urged supporters to boycott foreign-owned supermarkets.
As Brexit turns 5, Brits celebrate with pricier booze
A new tax system means higher prices for some of the U.K.’s favorite tipples.
Slovakia leads EU charge to rein in supermarket power
Slovakiaโs right-wing government is spearheading a push to strengthen EU rules on unfair trading practices, saying the current reforms donโt go far enough.
Who loved Moscow more: Tucker Carlson or Slovakiaโs far-right chief?
See if you can get 100 percent in our quiz.
Itโs tough at the top โ but which business leader has the most at stake in 2025?
From post and planes to TV, phones and retail chains โ and even a central bank โ here are the chiefs facing the most testing of timesA year is a long time in business: enough time for things to turn sour financially, or to engineer a comeback. Here are…
Antidote to online: Germanyโs one-stop wellness shops get ready for Christmas
Reformhaus retains an unmatched selection of tea and slippers but is morphing to stay competitive Wellness, organics and sustainability have become buzzwords in modern consumer marketing, but the mainstreaming of โgreenโ lifestyle is creating some cha…
NGO calls for sales ban on Norwegian salmon in Germany
The NGO deems 50% of all salmon for sale in German supermarkets was farmed in Norway.
Romaniaโs Trump sets his sights on foreign companies
Cฤlin Georgescu tells POLITICO that foreign investors are too prevalent in key utility sectors thanks to a wave of unjustified privatizations.
Romaniaโs presidential front-runner is all about farmers
Far-right independent Cฤlin Georgescu is trying to capture rural voters with fascist tropes.
Brazilโs livestock industry has โbeefโ with French supermarkets, threatening legal action
Brazil’s National Congress is due to vote on legislation preventing the government from signing international agreements imposing ‘discriminatory restrictions’.
You butter stop lying: Czech politicians trade insults over price surge
High dairy prices have sparked a butter war on X in Czechia.
Soaring grocery prices helped Trump to victory. The climate crisis is only going to make this worse | James Meadway
From olive oil to butter, extreme weather is pushing up the cost of living and having a dramatic political impact. Economists need a solutionIn the US, where Donald Trump swept the board last week, it was the experience of sharply increasing essentials…
Astonish cut-price soaps clean up in supermarkets
A family manufacturer in Bradford has been propelled by the growth of discount retailers
German discounters crush fresh produce prices โ and suppliers too
Banana exporters from Ecuador describe a recent Lidl offer as the โstraw that broke the camelโs back.”
Nine in ten honey samples from UK retailers fail authenticity test
Call for industry reform as latest results support belief that products are being bulked out with cheaper sugar syrupThe honey industry faces new demands to overhaul its supply chain after more than 90% of sampled products bought from large British ยญre…
Moldovans head to polls in major test for EU future
Authorities tell POLITICO they are working to fight Russian interference after first-round vote was marred by allegations of bribery and intimidation.
Paris seeks to calm Sanofi workersโ fears over American takeover
French government threatens sanctions if production leaves France; downplays vetoing the deal.
German supermarkets take the fight to British competitors
High investment and low prices appear to be disrupting the established order in the UK supermarket sector.
UKโs โnot for EUโ meat and dairy labelling plan postponed indefinitely
Policy devised under Conservatives will be reviewed after warnings of chaos for producers and suppliersGovernment plans to force food manufacturers to put โnot for EUโ labels on all meat and dairy products sold across Britain next month have been indef…
Over 40kg of cocaine found in banana shipments to French supermarkets
Police seek to identify intended recipient after drugs found under pallets at four Grand Frais storesDozens of kilograms of cocaine have been found in banana deliveries to four of a French supermarket chainโs stores, with police unsure who the intended…
UK to again delay Brexit border checks on food
Industry says the controls could push up prices.
What Kamala Harris Should Learn From Richard Nixon
Try not to wreck the economy.
‘It’s a match’: Iberians ditch dating apps to find partners in supermarkets
Mercadona is the new hot spot in the Iberian dating world among young singles who are flocking to the supermarket chain in droves, driven by the latest TikTok trend.
Olive oil crisis: Spanish farmers accuse supermarkets of inflating prices amid production shortages
Spanish olive oil producers say big supermarkets are making huge profits at the expense of consumers by making a 59% margin over the initial price.
What are the controversies around novel foods
The term โnovel foodsโ is becoming more popular by the day. But to make it to the European supermarkets it needs to be assessed by the EU food safety authority and then get the greenlight from the European Commission.
Indonesians who paid thousands to work on UK farm sacked within weeks
Exclusive: Several sent home for slow fruit picking face debts as watchdog investigates alleged illegal feesIndonesian workers who paid thousands of pounds to travel to Britain and pick fruit at a farm supplying most big supermarkets have been sent hom…
โIt needs to stay in the loopโ: German reuse schemes turn shopping upside down
After success of bottle deposit schemes, some retailers are trying to widen culture of reuse โ and start tackling Europeโs waste problemRenรฉ Heiden pulls two glass yoghurt jars off the shop shelf, and lists the nearby supermarkets in which they can be …
Ukraine’s women replace men at work
To cope with its labor shortage, Ukrainian women have begun working in typically male-dominated fields, like in steel factories, supermarkets, and for public transport, to try and make up for the absence of their male employees on the frontlines.
Conscription squads send Ukrainian men into hiding
Public transport, cafes and supermarkets are now off limits to men trying to avoid being enlisted.
Conscription squads send Ukrainian men into hiding
Public transport, cafes and supermarkets are now off limits to men trying to avoid being enlisted.
Sharp rise in cost of British lamb in UK due to rising demand and import issues
Cold and wet weather also thought to have led to more lambs dying in early season, as Morrison drops 100% British lamb pledgeThe price of British lamb has hit an all-time high as cold weather and disease in the UK and difficulties with imports have com…
Delivery firm Getir to quit UK, Europe and US and focus on Turkey
Grocery service grew during Covid pandemic but has retreated amid competition and waning demandThe grocery courier firm Getir is to quit the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and the US to focus on its home market of Turkey amid heavy competition and waning…
A fairer future for farmers is a greener future for Europe
Addressing the inequities in our food system is essential to delivering justice for farmers and securing climate action.
Olive oil becomes most stolen item from Spanish shops
The secret ingredient is crime. Olive oil has become the most shoplifted item from supermarkets in Spain.
Big Chocolate is conning you this Easter
Traders, manufacturers and retailers are all blaming each other for record prices.
Olive oil becomes most wanted item for shoplifters in Spain
Gangs steal โliquid goldโ amid shortages and surging prices after extreme weather damages harvestsOlive oil has become the most stolen product in supermarkets across Spain, with organised criminal gangs targeting the โliquid goldโ to resell on the hidd…
After farmersโ protests German Monopolies Commission warns against premature market intervention
In the wake of the farmers’ protests, the German government has tried to pin the blame on supermarkets. The German Monopolies Commission has now concluded that there are indeed imbalances, although it warns against hasty political decisions.
Is an uprising by Europeโs farmers sowing the seeds for the far right? – podcast
Furious farmers across Europe have blocked roads and railways as part of protests against new regulations and cheap imports. Jon Henley reportsThe scenes are now familiar across Europe, from Poland to Portugal: angry farmers blocking roads, ports, rail…
UK farmers vow to mount more blockades over cheap post-Brexit imports
Inspired by French action, British campaigners say they will continue slow tractor protests after Dover roads were blockedFarmers say there will be further French-style blockades following a slow tractor protest at Dover against low supermarket prices …
Retailers: Stricter rules for food supply chain will not improve farmersโ situation
Amid calls from several EU leaders to re-examine the balance of market power in the supply chain, the retailers’ association Eurocommerce has called for stricter rules against transnational purchase alliances to be avoided.
France calls for stronger farmer protections in supply chain negotiations
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for greater protections for food producers through a ‘European Egalim’ law, a reference to French legislation that regulates trade negotiations with supermarkets and manufacturers.
Post-Brexit food labelling rules to appease DUP will lead to higher prices, says industry
Draft legislation is intended to ensure full array of products are sold in Northern IrelandForcing all UK supermarkets to put โnot for EUโ labels on meat, dairy and plant products in a move to assuage the concerns of unionists in Northern Ireland will …
Macron calls for farming reform as food producers hurl eggs at European parliament
Demonstrations calling for help with taxes, costs and environmental rules overshadow EU leadersโ summitEuropeโs farming sector is facing a big crisis and must โprofoundlyโ change its rules, Emmanuel Macron has said after a European Union leadersโ summi…
France axes tractor fuel hike, cuts red tape to appease angry farmers
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is looking for a way out of his first political crisis as farmersโ protests spread across the country.
Like Germany, France targets food industry, supermarkets to protect farmersโ income
To defuse farmers’ anger, the government announced on Friday (26 January) that it would step up controls and impose penalties on manufacturers and distributors who fail to comply with the national laws protecting farmers’ incomes.
Germanyโs Habeck wants market power of food industry scrutinised
As nationwide farmers’ protests continue, the German government wants to have the market power of supermarkets and the food industry scrutinised, blaming their price-setting power for the poor economic situation of many farms.
Farmersโ protests: German Greens put blame on supermarket chains
As farmers continue to stage huge traffic-blocking protests across Germany, a growing number of voices within the ruling Greens are blaming major supermarket chains’ pricing policies for many farms’ currently dire economic situation.
Carrefour pulls PepsiCo products in four EU countries over price hikes
Stores in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium will no longer stock PepsiCo drinks, Layโs and Doritos crisps and Quaker cerealsThe French supermarket chain Carrefour has said it will stop selling PepsiCo products in stores in four European countries becaus…
Merry Christmas! Now, when is payday?
It’s the most expensive Christmas on record, but bargains are starting to reappear if you look hard enough.
Croatian authorities rule out Coca-Cola poisonings
Beverage testing confirms the soft drinks haven’t been tampered with en masse.
In the West Bank, Horror Mixes with Fear of Whatโs to Come
Checkpoints are up, Quran verses replace music in stores, and residents are bracing for more violence.
Italyโs blue crab invasion: If you canโt beat โem, eat โem
The invasive species is now feasting on young clams and mussels, along with fish roe and other aquatic life, endangering the countryโs culinary shellfish tradition.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 590 of the invasion
At least 51 killed in missile strike during village wake service; European leaders rally around Zelenskiy amid US funding uncertaintyAt least 51 people including a six-year-old boy were killed during a missile attack on a cafe during a wake service in …
UK retailers urge ministers to align with EU on new โdeforestation-freeโ rules
Leading supermarkets call on government to speed up legislation or put exports at risk
Britainโs Tories are raging against 15-minute cities
Conservatives train their fire on an urban planning concept seized on by conspiracy theorists.
Two French supermarkets to sell fuel at cost price
Carrefour and E.Leclerc are holding down the price of petrol and diesel to help people cope with inflation.
Price of Maltese food soars by 11% amid EU deficit intervention
The price of food in Maltese supermarkets has risen by almost 11% during the last year, posing a significant problem for consumers, while general inflation has fallen, dipping below the eurozone average. Last week, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana warned…
Carrefour puts โshrinkflationโ price warnings on food to shame brands
French supermarket chain labels products that have shrunk in size but cost more before contract talks with suppliersTell us your experiences of โskimpflationโ and โshrinkflationโThe French supermarket chain Carrefour has put labels on its shelves this …
How the Italian mafia makes millions from tinned tomatoes โ video
If your tinned tomatoes come from southern Italy, itโs likely that organised crime had a hand in getting them from the farm to the supermarket shelf. The mafia controls much of the region’s agribusiness, and it’s big business, adding billions of euros …
First โnot for EUโ labels appear on supermarket food in Northern Ireland
Labels required on some items from October on back of updated post-Brexit deal seen in AsdaThe first โnot for EUโ labels have appeared on food products sold in Northern Ireland, in a sign for consumers of the changes resulting from the Windsor framewor…