| Last week after reading several articles about the | | | | supermarkets advertising; not everything is |
| devastating effect of supermarkets on local | | | | cheaper there. In 2002 Friends of The Earth |
| communities and the environment, I decided to | | | | found that a kilo of Tesco apples were 28p more |
| experiment with only using local shops. I often use | | | | expensive than a market stall, and 23p more than |
| the big supermarkets, usually because of the | | | | a greengrocer. The big stores spend millions on |
| availability of cheep organic staples such as rice, | | | | advertising to entice you to buy what you didn't |
| pasta, and tea and coffee, and then I use local | | | | know you wanted, and don't need. Stores are laid |
| fruit and veg shops, farmers markets and my | | | | out to influence people's decisions on what to buy. |
| box-scheme. This week I used the local shops, | | | | (One big chain placed 6 packs of beer next to |
| and my local organic supermarket. | | | | nappies to entice men who are asked to grab an |
| I have to say that the experience was far more | | | | emergency pack of nappies on the way home |
| pleasant and interesting than a trip to Stresscos. | | | | from work!) Research showed that 50% of |
| The kids enjoyed it as they could go by scooter | | | | purchases are decided on AFTER entering Tescos. |
| (more fun than a car journey) and our local | | | | Shop locally and avoid brainwashing!o Shopping |
| organic shop offers each child a free apple to eat | | | | locally will put more money back into the local |
| while they are there which also goes down very | | | | economy, and help support our farmers. Spending |
| well. I managed to leave without having spent | | | | £10 in your butchers shop on local meat will |
| twice as much as I planned (my usual | | | | generate £24 for the local community, |
| supermarket weakness), despite letting the kids | | | | whereas spending £10 in a large |
| choose lots of unusual things, and left with a | | | | supermarket generates only £14 for the |
| basket of exciting foods, resulting in some | | | | local community. Farmers are pressured by large |
| interesting and tasty family meals. | | | | supermarkets to produce cheaper and cheaper |
| Great things about shopping locally:o A good brisk | | | | foods (leading to increased use of fertilizer, |
| walk to the shops or local market several times a | | | | pesticides, etc), while the supermarkets have |
| week will keep you fitter, cut down on vehicle | | | | steadily increased the prices on the same foods. |
| emissions, banish petrol and parking costs, and | | | | Large supermarkets may pay as little as a penny |
| support local retailers. Several smaller shopping | | | | per chicken, and will make as much as 48p per |
| journeys may also cut down on food wastage, as | | | | kilo on potatoes (buy a sack from a local farm |
| you will be more in tune with what you need and | | | | shop). Often the farmers receive less money |
| less inclined to bulk buy. Forget 'old fogey' and go | | | | than the crop cost to grow. In 2003 Terry Leahy |
| New Fogey with a funky shopping trolley so that | | | | of Tesco earned £2,838,000 (I bet he |
| you can wheel larger amounts of shopping home, | | | | doesn't buy value beans), and an average farmer |
| and protect your back.o Buy a basket or some | | | | in the same year would have earned (including |
| sturdy bags to cut down on plastic in the | | | | farming subsidies) £11,107. |
| environment. Most things do not need plastic bags | | | | Using local shops, farmers markets, farms shops |
| and can be put straight into a basket or bag. | | | | etc offers many other benefits; getting to taste |
| Plastic does not degrade; breaking into ever | | | | before you buy, seeing lots of local fresh produce; |
| smaller pieces until it becomes a toxic residue | | | | artisan cheeses, vegetables, cider, breads, |
| poisoning the environment and responsible for the | | | | supporting small businesses and producers. You |
| destruction of complex marine environments. | | | | may choose and discover more interesting things |
| 60% of household waste is from packaging, much | | | | to try with your family, bringing more variety into |
| of which is unnecessary. An average UK | | | | your diet and more discussion to the dinner table. |
| household will spend £470 per annum on | | | | You will certainly be doing your bit to cut down on |
| packaging; cut down on packaging and you can | | | | environmental damage, and support your local |
| afford a weekend in Paris!o Seek out local organic | | | | economy. You may be able to reduce food |
| supermarkets and health food stores and you | | | | wastage in your home, or save money. Give it a |
| may be able to refill your Ecover cleaning product | | | | try for a week or two; if anything, it breaks the |
| bottles; for me this will prevent over 100 plastic | | | | monotony of the weekly supermarket visit, and |
| bottles each year being discarded. (I recycle | | | | gives you a feeling that you are doing something |
| plastic bottles, but recycling plastic has its own | | | | more positive than merely lining the pockets of |
| environmental issues, and it is better to cut down | | | | the supermarket shareholders. |
| on plastic use). Also look out for shops where you | | | | Happy shopping, |
| can scoop dry stuff out of bins, this is often | | | | Vikki. |
| cheaper as well.o Don't always believe the big | | | | |