The European Commission has proposed banning certain ‘unfair’ trading practices that smaller food and farming businesses face. Their vulnerability lies in their inability to negotiate owing to less bargaining power and no alternative supplies to offer to customers. “With this proposal, the Commission is tackling the unfair trading practices head-on. We act because unfair business conduct undermines the economic viability of operators in the chain,” said Jyrki Katainen, vice-president for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness. Some of these practices include late payments for perishable food products, last-minute order cancellations, unilateral or retroactive changes to contracts and forcing the supplier to pay for wasted products. More information on the freshfruitportal.