Tesco & Sainsbury's start 'fake' organic box schemes

[Herbsman]

Tesco's and Sainsbury's launch new Fake Organic Box Schemes

Only just heard about this. I don't think it's a good thing at all but I suppose it had to happen sooner or later.

Firstly because most organic veg sold in supermarkets is air-freighted from afar, much air pollution occurs as a result, not to mention tonnes of fuel being burnt. And people being woken up at night by planes flying over their houses. And contributing to 'global warming' (which, by the way, I think is one of the least of our worries). Secondly, are local farms going to be able to compete with the supermarket veg box prices?

The plus side is, it might encourage people in this country to eat more veg, and make fewer trips in the car to the supermarket. But I don't think the benefits outweigh the costs, really...

Organic box schemes are all about small businesses delivering fresh local organic produce, and cutting out the supermarket big boys in the process. That's why people choose organic box schemes. However, Tesco's and Sainsbury's are seeking to capture a bigger slice of the country's £1.6bn organic food market, which is growing at 30 per cent a year, by launching their own versions of real box schemes. Sainsbury's will trial its scheme to around 500,000 customers in the East Midlands and East Anglia from the end of August, while Tesco will test its vegetable boxes in south London from early September.

Sandra Bell, real food campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "It will be a threat to the smaller, very genuinely local businesses that are running successful box schemes because Sainsbury's and Tesco will be able to undercut them, which could put local farmers out of business."

Independent article

[Glen]

Yeah I read about this in the paper a few weeks ago. I think it is an absolute joke. If I remember correctly, none of the supermarkets were going to source locally, which is one of the main reasons people use such schemes. As you say, extra energy/pollution. It was inevitable though. Those big greedy companies cant lay off any idea if it is making money.

[aubergine]

Those big greedy companies cant lay off any idea if it is making money.

Unless it means stocking decent Vegan food. I don't like Sainsbury's as a company, but sometimes there no-where else to shop