Supermarket RANT!!

[madderbat]

No, it's not you Geordie.

We find that the Farmer's market is not cheaper than supermarkets, but it's what is known as 'economies of scale' Supermarkets can afford to 'pile em high and sell em cheap' because they buy so much from suppliers, the unit cost goes down and they have suppliers over a barrel.

The latest problem is for dairy farmers. Supermarkets are buying milk at pennies a litre - it was on the news in the last few days. They are paying less than it costs the farmers to produce. Trouble is, we've all got used to 'cheap' food and forget that producers suffer.

Talking about ethical living (see other thread in general chat), shopping at Tescos or Asda is about the worst thing you can do. (ducks head below parapet!)

[beefy]

Farmers are getting 16 p a litre for their milk .you pay 48 -50 p a litre .
Where does the rest go?

[Alice]

No Geordie, it's not you. The prices at farmers markets are exhorbitant, and I don't think many people could afford to do their weekly shop there. My local farmers market is Loch Lomond Shores. What a setting ! What views ! What prices ! I do use that market - but for luxury items.
Everything in the supermarket is not rubbish. I think it's up to us to use our judgement to decide what we will buy there, and go elsewhere for the rest.
The problem is people DO want one stop shopping, and grab everything under one roof. People who are working all week don't want to spend their time trawling round umpteen shops for different things. And they don't set any food budget, so they just grab whatever they want, so any notion of seasonality and cheaper prices is lost. Many families have both parents working - because they need the money to provide the lifestyle they have been led to believe they must have AND SO ON. I don't think any of this is going to change quickly.
There is a move afoot in the British middle classes to be more eco friendly, but at the same time, countries where people were more attuned to the natural rhythm of things, are moving over to the supermarkets - for the same reasons we did here.
Don't want to write an essay on this - just say there is no easy answer. We can only do what feels right for us.

[sewer rat]

My two local Farmer's Markets (Dingwall and Dornoch) aren't too bad for price, but the large one in Inverness is more expensive (for the same products from the same people). Guess they think they can get away with it more with the "townies".
Geordie - how any grower can justify 30p for a single leek is beyond me !
I know that a lot of the sellers at Farmers Markets are "organic certified" but to me, selling organic at twice the price is a straight forward rip off. Same with organic beef etc - rip off !
In a recent poll, most people questioned said they would buy "local" over "organic" - seems people are more concerned about their carbon footprints.

[smallblueplanet]

....In a recent poll, most people questioned said they would buy "local" over "organic" - seems people are more concerned about their carbon footprints.

I wonder if thats down to how 'local farmers' are perceived? You know, none of this large agro-factory stuff, just cosy ol' farmer Giles and his 3 sheep and a cow?

I wonder if some punters see 'local' like a brand? The sooner people are educated as to were their food comes from and how it is produced, the better.

ps I have a high instep, how does that affect my carbon footprint?

[johnty greentoes]

Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

SBP

Here's how to calc your carbon footprint, high instep or no.

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.html

[smallblueplanet]

Seems nonsense as far as I can see:

TOTAL FOOTPRINT (for 2 people or each, it wasn't clear) - 12,018; UK average CO2 per person (kg) - 10,963

"Environmentalists believe that to stop global warming every person needs to reduce their emissions to roughly 2,500 kg per year.

To do this isn't easy, but to start with you should:

1. Buy your electricity from a renewable energy supplier - £200/yr not exactly huge?

2. Reduce the number of flights you take - 1 !?

3. Car share or use public transport more - 5000 miles/year

4. Use less energy at home and at work. - how?

Seems I should consider knitting my own loft insulation?

[madderbat]

This is all part of why I said I would never fly again after our holiday last year; not only is the government 'sheepling' us around - 3 hour check ins so that you can spend money in the airport, not allowed to take a 50p bottle of water with you, have to pay £1.50 on the plane, etc. I decided that I will not fly again. From now on holidays will be local and if I want to see other parts of the world I will look on the internet at Flickr or google maps.

Giving up the car is another part of it. I realise that most people need to travel for work, but it is crazy to do it unless you absolutely have to. When I see pictures of the M25 or M1 traffic I am so glad I don't have to do that any more. Four years ago I changed jobs because I didn't want to have to fight my way into Leicester every day.

Years ago when I lived in London I used to commute into the city, until one day I found that I couldn't face shoving myself onto a tube at London Bridge. I found work nearer home and rode my bike; felt a lot happier.

For me it's been about deciding what I actually need rather than think I want. It makes me smile when new reports talk about consumers feeding the economy. So many people running like hell on the hamster wheel of life, to create stuff that other hamsters run on the wheel so that they can afford.

I don't want to play any more.

[Alison]

Good on you Madderbat, am with you all the way but haven't managed to give up the foreign holidays yet.

[Alice]

You're so right Madderbat. So many people are running themselves ragged for stuff they neither need nor want.

[smallblueplanet]

Well I'm not giving up my 1 european holiday, or our 5000 car miles. It might be about choice, and you've made yours MB, but still looking at the carbon footprint calculator it won't work.

As I said I cannot see how having unrealistic expectations on what people will or won't use is going to help - just what will 2500kg of carbon allow a person to do?

[beefy]

I was always told "There is a difference between your wants and your needs".Seems more people may need to learn this. I've seen whole streets change the sofa just because next door changed theirs.Seems to me that people would rather spend money on things keeping up with the neighbours and then buy the value brands in the supermarkets when the money gets tight.