Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has announced all major retailers have agreed to join the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct.

Walmart and Costco are the most recent companies to sign on, joining Metro, Sobeys and Loblaw.

In a statement released Thursday, the federal department said this move is a “positive step towards bringing more fairness, transparency, and predictability to Canada’s grocery supply chain and for consumers.”

The voluntary code provides guidelines for fair negotiations, and is meant to level competition for suppliers and smaller retailers.

Canada’s five biggest grocers have been under intense public and political pressure as the price of groceries has risen by more than 22 per cent over four years.

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