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I can't see how it is 'ethical' to support local business per se.
I see the the point about pollution, but how many people drive to the supermarket to buy the stuff? Why also would this apply to food only, what about everything else you buy?
The problem is that this attitude rules out buting from developing world farmers who need the money far more than any British farmer does.....
It also rules out the fairtrade stuff, this stuff is from other countries, hence more pollution, you can't have it both ways really........
I'm always willing to buy fair trade produce when I see it, but you seldom see stawberries from, say Sudan in a supermarket.
So if the choice is between Spanish and British strawberries British people might consider it perhaps not more ethical, but better for the local economy and the environment to buy the British ones.
yes people might consider it to be better to 'buy local' but it isn't really justified, the only reason people do it with food is because it is cheap enough for each individual item to not make a difference.
How many people take into account localness when buying a car? British people don't buy many Rovers do they?
If it was a choice between British Apples or New Zealand apples,or Id buy British, or the nearest country. You cant compare the pollution of someone driving to a supermarket, to the pollution caused by aviation fuel, but even if you could, just because you drive, wouldnt mean its not worth buying local produce to cut down pollution elsewhere.
basically it all to do with the stupid system of CAP and how we produce food, if we produce and buy food locally for a decent price (ie not paying the middle man all the profits - supermarkets) whilst the farmer being subsidised
i not in mood to explain but hopeflly you get the point
The most often cited factor that harms our farmers is supermarkets.
if you wanted to help Brit farmers you would probably be best not shopping at supermarkets, how many going to do that though?
people have already cmentioned Iceland and Waitrose..........
its only natural I suppose, i don't want to have a go.
Just seems that some people are a bit wishy-washy about this if you see what i mean.........
Do you think British stuff is better, or cheaper?
I support local businesses because I want to support the local workforce. Simple as that. I have a Manufacturing Engineering degree, but I can't get a job in manufacturing because everyone is moving production overseas. if we all refused to buy foreign-made products, then it would help our own industry, and thus provide jobs for people like me.
Mfg is leving britian for good reason, attitudes for 'buying local' help perpetuate economic inefficiency and hurt developing nations, people in those countries deserve jobs as well.........
Is it right to buy stuff knowingly made by child labour in sweatshops, because in one way its supporting workers in other countries, but on the other hand its supporting abuse and exploitation of vunerable people.
I agree that they can be exploitative and that there should be actions taken to prevent this.
But as you allude, better to have children starving, etc than working if there are no other options?
You want cheap coffee? well fair enough, but unless you buy fairtrade, the coffee growers arent even getting paid enough to eat properly let alone school their children, but Nescafe, and maxwell house (sara lee) keep pushing the prices down and down, paying less and less of a fair price. These workers cant even sustain themselves but they have no choice but to keep going or theyd have nothing.
Its NOT alright to keep trying to pay lower and lower prices for quality produce, by doing so, other people are being made poorer and poorer, not just in developing countries, but in this country too.
I do agree that there are bad things but there are also negative consequences of this ethical thinking so it isn' completely clear cut........
no its the hugh markups that companies make, we should pay a more reasonable price for what we buy with more going to farmers, not too much but what they deserve
My fairly traded coffee costs £1.49 a jar from the co-op. Thats much cheaper than nescafe. Free range eggs are about 20p more than battery eggs. Organic milk in tescos costs roughly 20p more for 4 pints, than the non organic milk. Local fruit and veg can be bought mega cheaply from your local greengrocers, or you can get organic box schemes all over the country providing all the fruit and veg you need for about £7 a week.
It makes a slight difference, but there will be no major change without a total restructuring of world economics.
Consumer power is a bit of a con really. Pretending to make things better while doing fuck all.
Consumers want fairly traded stuff and organic foods - a few years ago youd be lucky to get it in a hippy health food store, but now its even in your local corner shop not to mention supermarkets.
People can and do affect what is sold and is available to buy. We affect trends, and big companies arent going to sell stuff that nobody wants to buy. Sales of Lard and dripping are at an all time low, even mcdonalds have had to bring in healthy options to their mcmenu, and you think consumer influence is minimal?
can you please explain what you mean, maybe im being thick here?
And I buy FairTrade coffee. But that's about it.
(And I don't buy meat etc cos I'm a vegatarian but ethics don't really influence that decision)