Boss of Sainsbury's says NO to 'Buy British'

[GETUPTA SINGH]

The boss of Sainsbury's has criticised campaigns encouraging shoppers only to Buy British food as 'simplistic'.

Justin King attacked the fashion for 'food miles' - the term used to describe the distance food is transported from production to the plate.

He insisted Sainsbury's and other supermarkets are helping poor African farmers by shipping their produce thousands of miles to Britain.

Mr King made his comments to students and food industry leaders at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. 'We know that because of the size of our business we can make a real difference to people in places like Africa,' he said.

The National Farmers' Union said buying British guarantees higher quality, lower prices, reduced transport costs and lower carbon emissions. 'Local food bought direct from suppliers or farmers' markets may be considerably cheaper than that found in supermarkets, and consumers also have the reassurance that it has not been transported large distances around the UK,' a spokesman said....

Sainsbury's says No to Buy British campaign | Mail Online

Anyone for making a quick buck?

[13th November 1002]

Well that's going to stop this family shopping in Sainsbury's for the forseeable.

Plenty of other supermarkets around......

[pauli007001]

Personally when in the UK i only buy British food products,i purchase direct from the farmer(or co operatives ).None of the meat products i purchase has been subjected to chemical treatments nor has the animal been tortured to death(which according to Islam the animal prefers) i find this to be less expensive and better for the health of my family and I.
All my work clothes are purchased in the USA and are made in the USA(that is where i work)Half of my casual clothes are US made the other half are British made.All of my Dress clothing is made in the UK by either of the tailors i use,one in london and my new Kiltmaker in Glasgow(half the price of an Edinborogh Kilt).To me this is the only way to purchase food or clothing!!I reject any NON Natural fibres i will wear wool,cotton,cashmere,silk,linen and other natural materials,un natural fibers are exactly that......Unnatural.The same applies to foodstuffs,reject chemicals in food buy natural(organic if you can find it)and enjoy life more!!!!!!

[Tete123]

Personally when in the UK i only buy British food products,i purchase direct from the farmer(or co operatives ).None of the meat products i purchase has been subjected to chemical treatments nor has the animal been tortured to death(which according to Islam the animal prefers) i find this to be less expensive and better for the health of my family and I.
All my work clothes are purchased in the USA and are made in the USA(that is where i work)Half of my casual clothes are US made the other half are British made.All of my Dress clothing is made in the UK by either of the tailors i use,one in london and my new Kiltmaker in Glasgow(half the price of an Edinborogh Kilt).To me this is the only way to purchase food or clothing!!I reject any NON Natural fibres i will wear wool,cotton,cashmere,silk,linen and other natural materials,un natural fibers are exactly that......Unnatural.The same applies to foodstuffs,reject chemicals in food buy natural(organic if you can find it)and enjoy life more!!!!!!

I understand and share your sentiments Pauli. We (I had best include the missus in the equation) tend to shop more traditionally. As an example we ONLY ever use a local butcher (family friend) for our meat, we will ONLY ever buy bread from the bakery, there is a local farm for the Veg (although this isn't my area of shopping expertise) and so on. This includes and informs all aspects of purchasing including electrical items.

We are not strict on British Only items but buy a fair share of organically produced products. Clothing wise if I like it I buy it. I have no concerns where or how it was made, but I understand what your saying. I do find that we pay more shopping this way, and can understand why some people are forced to shop according to budget rather than quality or production methods.

I just find the supermarkets to be without soul or personality - I like the personal touches you get from building a relationship with those you purchase from.

[Midas]

I too understand the sentiments of what's being said here, however from the point of view of a large company like Sainsbury's, buying British isn't always economic for either the customer or the company.

The volume of food products which are consumed in the UK are huge and in many cases the demand just can't be satisfied by local growers, let alone the impossibility of growing a significant proportion of our food. Unless there's a radical and fundamental change to the way that the whole of the UK eats, and the country is prepared to pay significantly more for food, most of it has to be imported.

If people prefer to buy British, and I do in certain cases, there are always plenty of alternative sources of good fresh produce around.

[DTE]

As we head into this worldwide recession I think most people will think first with their wallets when it comes to food purchases and ethics will take a back seat (at least for the time being). When it comes to clothes I think we can all be a little more selective with what we buy and from where, then again, I bet most of us have got a pair of Nike trainers, and we all know how they make those...

Oh and Pauli, that myth you perpetrate about Halal meat and the "torture" required to kill the animal is untrue. The killing process has been refined to the point where it is a clean, quick, cut of the throat that kills the animal within seconds. Yes, I would imagine it is more painful than a bolt-gun to the head, but in the end the animal is just as dead so ethically I think the difference is marginal.