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 though 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.
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