'Fed Up' Documentary

[Cheekypasterfield]

What makes me sad is recently I learnt on the radio that British Farmers have to aim to grow their vegetables to a certain size and shape as the Supermarket (Tesco in question) said their consumers expect to see a carrot a certain shape and size! If the farmer didn't get their veg to the shops 'template' it was rejected. As a result the farmer received a reduced payment for their produce

Personally I think that's awful!

I honestly don't care if my carrots are different shapes or sizes once it's cut up it doesn't matter. I now look for the 'value bags of Veg' and if you notice the veg are all different shapes/sizes. The bag is half the price as the 'perfect veg shape' bag.

Why does it seem that the big superstores seem to be the winners and the poor farmers/consumers have to struggle?

 

[AngelicBee]

I agree I read recently they are being screwed over for milk too, it's disgusting!! We have a goat farm nearby I like to buy there stuff directly - they deserve the money and then maybe they could choose more wisely regarding the way they farm, animals in better conditions and organic farming etc

 

[Biscuit Bandit]

What makes me sad is recently I learnt on the radio that British Farmers have to aim to grow their vegetables to a certain size and shape as the Supermarket (Tesco in question) said their consumers expect to see a carrot a certain shape and size! If the farmer didn't get their veg to the shops 'template' it was rejected. As a result the farmer received a reduced payment for their produce

Personally I think that's awful!

I honestly don't care if my carrots are different shapes or sizes once it's cut up it doesn't matter. I now look for the 'value bags of Veg' and if you notice the veg are all different shapes/sizes. The bag is half the price as the 'perfect veg shape' bag.

Why does it seem that the big superstores seem to be the winners and the poor farmers/consumers have to struggle?

I think you answer your own points is some ways. The supermarket wants the veg to conform to standards of presentation because that's what the consumer buys. Tesco's did a range of local milks where they sourced the milk from farms local to the individual supermarket and gave the supplier a premium price. They stopped because people bought the cheaper generic milk. When it comes to it supermarkets seem to have found that while we have trends of 'lets buy local' 'lets buy organic' 'lets buy healthy' the one sure thing is - lets buy cheapest. Its ok if Tesco (or Sainsbury etc) chose to sell premium price (to pay the farmers more) with assorted shapes & sizes of veg/fruit people would simply go elsewhere. They're already losing custom to the budget stores. Price is the key and the only ones to blame are us the consumers.

 

[Featherhat]

I think you answer your own points is some ways. The supermarket wants the veg to conform to standards of presentation because that's what the consumer buys. Tesco's did a range of local milks where they sourced the milk from farms local to the individual supermarket and gave the supplier a premium price. They stopped because people bought the cheaper generic milk. When it comes to it supermarkets seem to have found that while we have trends of 'lets buy local' 'lets buy organic' 'lets buy healthy' the one sure thing is - lets buy cheapest. Its ok if Tesco (or Sainsbury etc) chose to sell premium price (to pay the farmers more) with assorted shapes & sizes of veg/fruit people would simply go elsewhere. They're already losing custom to the budget stores. Price is the key and the only ones to blame are us the consumers.

Yes, unfortunately I think that's true. You can by slightly irregular shaped "organic veg" for a premium or you can buy slightly irregularly shaped pesticide veg at "value" price, but if a bog standard bag of carrots contained several weird shapes or tiny ones, good luck explaining that the weight and actual plant quality was the same as a bag of all "standard" regularly shaped carrots to annoyed customer. At least without a big national campaign. And anyway supermarkets now ready cut so much of their veg I'm almost surprised some of them still sell whole veg.

It's by no means a fair system obviously, but if you want to support local British farmers you have to shop in local butchers and greengrocers or the famers shops themselves. We have a great farm not too far from us that seems to do a roaring trade in own produce and some carefully selected "specialty vintage" bought in goods. I think some of the local garden centres also sell some of their products.

It's a shame but appears to be an enduring fact that no matter many surveys say we would all prefer to eat local given the opportunity, what we mean is "local at bargain basement prices with no inconvenience." Which is why its still cheaper to fly in greens from Egypt than to drive them 50 miles done the road from Lincolnshire, despite their high tech set ups.

I actually think if supermarkets are going to match Aldi and Lidl they are going to have to find a different hook to the new game which isn't just going ever cheaper, which might prove better for local farmers in the long run, maybe.