Farmwashing
"MPs yesterday also quizzed Dom Morrey, commercial director for fresh food at Tesco, about the use of its invented farms, including Rosedene Farms, Suntrail Farms, Redmere Farms, Nightingale Farms, Willow Farms, Woodside Farms, Boswell Farms and Bay Fishmongers."
Well some delving into Lidl's use of farm names. Now I have always been aware of the brand name Oaklands on a lot of the fresh vegetable or fruit I buy at Lidl. But apparently this has been changed to Griffiths Farm. This family raises the free range eggs sold at Lidl, their goal of 100% free range not quite reached yet though. So again the naming of a farm does not necessarily mean that it was grown on that specific farm. Farmwashing.
Now according to Lidl news they are in the process of investing 21 billion pounds in British farms, which is to the good as long as the mega-American style is not employed.
We cannot do without supermarkets, they are easy and convenient but again the profit motif makes them, and not to put a too fine name to it, screw the farmers on price. Accordingly passed on to the customers, but take that with a pinch of salt, it goes into profits where others make the killing.
This morning listening to a podcast, the economic lecturer mentioned a journalist who thought that a £90,000 annual salary was not enough for a middle class person.
Yes, well, slightly speechless there. Greed once more raises its ugly head. We have somehow set everyone to be more greedy in the last two or three decades. An unreal situation has appeared - wealth is the goal.
It seems to me unsolvable, firstly we have a need for supermarkets but they all display a container for donated food for the food banks. In our societies the rich are pulling away from the poor at a fast rate, Lidl is good in the sense that it keeps the price of food down but doesn't address the problem of a social upheaval where many people find the cost of living too much.
Since my daughter has hauled back a shopping bag on wheels last week, I shall try and go to the very good greengrocer in the outdoor market....
Thanks to Tasker for making me think.
I've always known that supermarkets make up farm names for their produce - it's not a new thing - Somerfield did it 35 years ago. I try to buy British- at least it hasn't flown miles.
ReplyDeleteI put links to the times I've done eating local challenges on the blog onto Taskers blog comments. - interesting to do but involved a lot of driving around and cost more of course
I tried one link Sue but it just took me to your blogger site. It would be quite easy to eat locally as far as vegetables go, there is a 'box' service. Only trouble is I would have to walk it home. And you don't choose what you want, which is slightly annoying.
ReplyDeleteTo make it seem more like a farm, perhaps Lidl should scatter some straw around and have farm animal noises playing over the tannoy. A few chickens running around would also help. The staff could wear smocks and carry crooks, every so often bursting out in song: "Old MacDonald had a farm ee-eye ee-eye oh!"
ReplyDeleteAlso at the entrance 'Have you remembered your Wallet' But though selling British food is sensible, we should also see to the welfare of the animals we eat from all supermarkets. Keep them on their toes.
DeleteOne of the millennials in The Times last week wrote that she expected five foreign holidays a year, plus the usual overseas hen parties!
ReplyDeleteIt is as if they don't notice the world around them, I think it is called selfishness ;).
DeleteApparently attaching 'farm[s]' to the name of any grocery product is a selling point. We're meant to feel that we are buying fresh and wholesome food. [Never mind reading the small print on the label.] During the off season for garden veg we buy what we can from the local Mennonite produce market. Most ifs fairly locally grown in poly tunnels, not prepackaged but offered in small open bins or baskets so that you select just what you want.
ReplyDeleteYou and Debby are lucky with the communities living by you. Debby with the Amish and you with the Mennonites Sharon. I shall have to look at their history, down another rabbit hole. Also no plastic used.
DeleteBlueberries have been in season here and rather nice. The plastic container they come in labelled Driscolls and I assumed this was a local company selling locally grown blueberries, the latter probably being true, but I noticed in something that I was watching the same name on a similar packet for berry fruit in England. It was even the same style of writing and colour. Multi national fruit companies!
ReplyDeleteExactly Andrew. Things are flown in from all over the world to tempt, and of course in the ubiquitous plastic. We don't really need them at all.
DeleteIf the outdoor market's produce is fresh, fairly priced and conveniently located, I would always buy there.
ReplyDeleteYes Hels, it is my laziness that stands in the way. Will try to do better.
DeleteIt's a good thing to see this all laid out in front of us. We need to be asking questions. One of my big questions is why a program set up to assist mothers with young children gives out benefits that can only be used to buy heavily sugared juices and cereals of a specific brand? Why is the unhealthy food pushed? I am lucky to live where I live. I have food options outside the grocery store.
ReplyDeleteEverything that is profitable Debby is sold on the market. You are definitely lucky to have different markets around and small time growers.
ReplyDelete