After five months of operation starting on January 1, 2026, the Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct (OGSCC) has released its first public report. The most common concerns involved unilateral changes to commercial arrangements, notice periods, disputed deductions, administrative fees, and questions relating to good-faith negotiations and communication between parties.

“This report provides the first public snapshot of the issues, concerns and implementation trends emerging under the Canada Grocery Code in the first five months,” said Karen Proud, president and adjudicator of the OGSCC. “While implementation remains in its early stages, the report also demonstrates the broad-based support that exists for the objectives of the Canada Grocery Code and provides encouraging early indications that the Code can be used to support constructive discussions and resolution of concerns between parties.” 

“The Canada Grocery Code is helping to build momentum toward greater trust and transparency within our grocery supply chain,” said the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “As awareness of the Code continues to grow, we look forward to seeing its positive impact for all those across the sector.” 

“The Canada Grocery Code is a practical tool for building fairer, more transparent and more predictable commercial relationships. I commend everyone who has played a role in bringing the Code into practice. We must now keep up our efforts to raise awareness of the Code and ensure everyone feels confident using it,” said Donald Martel, Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 

The report identifies several early implementation themes emerging across the grocery supply chain, including hesitation among some members to raise concerns with commercial counterparts or through formal reporting channels, ongoing misconceptions regarding the role of the OGSCC's confidential Issue Centre, and the need for greater familiarity with commercial agreements. 

Looking ahead, the OGSCC will continue to focus on education, outreach, member recruitment, and compliance-support activities aimed at strengthening confidence in the Code and supporting its consistent implementation across the sector. 

Key findings and activities highlighted in the report include: 

• Nine issues submitted through the OGSCC's confidential Issue Centre during the first five months of 2026, providing early insight into how the Code is operating in practice across the grocery supply chain; 

• The most common concerns involved unilateral changes to commercial arrangements, notice periods, disputed deductions, administrative fees, and questions relating to good-faith negotiations and communication between parties; 

• The OGSCC's first sector-wide information-gathering exercise, which received 62 responses from members. The exercise found that 82% of respondents had encountered click-to-accept agreement processes and 73% had encountered unilateral amendment clauses; 

• The publication of the OGSCC's first formal guidance documents addressing click-to-accept practices and unilateral amendments to agreements, providing greater clarity regarding expectations under the Code; and 

• The introduction of a fully anonymous reporting option within the Issue Centre to support greater confidence and participation in issue reporting. 

What happens next? 

The OGSCC will continue to monitor implementation trends, provide education and guidance to participants, and support dispute resolution where required. Later this summer, the newly appointed Code Advisory Group will begin the mandatory annual review of both the Canada Grocery Code and the Dispute Resolution Management Process. 

The full report is available at www.canadacode.org.

Source: Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct June 16, 2026 news release