Madam Speaker, I will circle back back to the recommendation I had just started talking about, the code of conduct, because it is an important aspect of controlling food prices. We have come to realize that a lot of money is being taken from the middleman.
I want to talk about the worst example I have seen recently. A lettuce salesman delivering lettuce to a large grocer was called back a few days later, only to be told to pick up three-quarters of his order because they did not want it anymore. The conditions were that he was not to charge the grocer for transport, but simply collect the rest of the order. This is unacceptable. What was the reason? The grocery chain said it had gotten better prices from Mexico.
First of all, who knows what is on the lettuce. I am going to talk about reciprocity of standards. Do not get me started. Not only did the store say it came from Mexico, but they also said they got a better price. The grower went back to pick up three-quarters of his order, then kept an eye on lettuce prices in grocery stores. Well, they never went down. A code of conduct with a dispute resolution process between small suppliers and large grocery stores is essential.