Is there anyone else who has noticed, that whilst we strive to create a fair buying relationship with other countries,the large supermarkets are driving dairy farmers and other producers, in this country, out of business with their constant drive for underpriced product?
I noticed with interest on yesterdays show that the young lady talking about fair trade looked blank when the UK was mentioned - can I suggest that we seek to apply the fair trade rules to our own farmers and growers and not just those in other countries.

Kim Coomber

Excellent and very valid point. When they were talking about support by giving a fair price for overseas farmers then you hear of UK farmers being essentialy blackmailed & paid a fraction of the "superstores" selling price for milk, vegetables etc to boost their already excessive profits there is something wrong somewhere!.
Where is the significant, organised support for the UK farmers besides Farmers Markets which is only a small proportion of the sales and demand?.

good points I never thought about our farmers. when we buy our favourite roast for dinner we are probably paying more than the farmer got for the whole cow. no wonder we are known as rip-off britain .

Very good points, but its not just that, im sick and fed up with Jeni preaching to us, if its not about sustainable fish, she's telling us not to use supermarkets, well JEN if we all had your money we could, but I have to work for a living so have to get the cheapest produce I can.

Perhaps Amanda and others will read the above and try to see if it is possible to get somebody on the show with a broader view of 'fair trade'. If anyone needs protecting and giving a 'fair' deal it has to be dairy farmers and hill farmers in the UK.

I am constantly surprised by the willingness of some to give money and support overseas while ignoring our UK needs.

David

i saw a short segment once, where they compared ten items of fruit and veg bought from a supermarket, and the equivilent ten items bought from a greengrocers, and i believe the greengrocers actually worked out cheaper. supermarkets can often be more expensive because they try to tack on "added value" as often as they can, for example, by packing fruit and veg in multipacks, or by prepreparing things, such as trimmed fine beans, or cubed swede. by doing this they can charge more for the product.

I know that greengrocers and farmers markets can work out cheaper. But...

a) Greengrocers and farmers markets to not seem to be open outside of the hours I work.

b) There are no greengrocers or farmers markets I can go to without driving to.

The supermarket I use, I drive past every day going to and from work, so I park and go in. If I were to make a further, or separate journey to a farmers market or greengrocer (if I could find one that is open outside my working hours) it would cost me more as I would be using more fuel and I would be leaving yet another carbon footprint.

I agree with you Richard, but would, rather than saying I have to get the cheapest, that I go for the best value for the money I am prepared to spend.

I'm with you Rosti, but this is the whole point with supermarkets. They cleverly pick a spot and push all small businesses out by out-pricing them. This then puts them in a position of 'convienience'. Therefore we all find that its easier and cheaper to travel/walk to the supermarkets and shop there

I know what you are saying GlynPaul, but I work out in the middle of nowhere, and the supermarket I use is also simply on a dual carriageway with a petrol station. No other shops were there beforehand. Yes it is a position of convenience but didn't and yes I suppose people must have found other shops before it was there. But where they are or were, I don't know. Certainly not within 5 miles.