When Tesco speaks, everybody listens.

It’s not just that Tesco holds almost a third of the grocery market, but that it has been – and continues to be – a pioneer in the market. What it does, others are prone to follow, which is why the company rightly gets more scrutiny than any other in the trade.

This week its chief executive, Philip Clarke, told the IGD Convention that the retailer wants to work more closely than ever with suppliers, becoming more transparent and accessible in the process.

Those are laudable words, and no doubt like other retailers Tesco has grasped the need to assure its supplies in an increasingly food-insecure world.

The problem is, this sort of language juxtaposes what we keep hearing from growers, namely that price pressure from retailers and the level of sometimes illogically planned promotions is pushing suppliers to the limit.

Clarke hasn’t had an easy time of it since taking over from Sir Terry Leahy. As well as having to follow an almost impossible act, he is trying to deliver shareholder value during one of the most severe economic times in living memory.

But to get through it, the kind of bilateral relationships Clarke is talking about must be a reality for everyone’s sake.