Supermarket heads have written an open letter to the UK government in The Times, cautioning that a hard Brexit could put food supply chains at risk.
High-level executives from Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer added their voices to farmers unions and food suppliers, emphasising the need for low tariffs and access to a migrant workforce to keep the grocery sector afloat. EU citizens working in Britain also need a guarantee that they will be allowed to stay, it added.
It also stressed that access to the free market was crucial, as 75% of British food exports are sold to the EU market.
"The sector needs access to EU and non-EU seasonal and permanent labour, alongside assurances that EU workers already working permanently in the UK are allowed to remain.
"This access to labour is essential as it underpins the UK food chain's timely delivery of high quality affordable food to consumers. We would urge that the UK Government seeks both these goals as the whole of society and the economy will benefit."
Prime Minister Theresa May has seemed to put control of immigration higher on the agenda than access to the single market. She also reiterated on Wednesday that she couldn't guarantee EU nationals' status in the country until a reciprocal agreement could be agreed upon for British citizens.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Karen Henderson. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
