the peoples supermarket - channel 4

artichoke

Hi

It is very hard to find a delivery of "local" milk, as most farmers have no choice but to sell to the raw milk straight from the cow to the big milk processing companys (including the supermarkets) who then process and bottle the milk. These big companies control the price the farmers get - the farmers have to sell to them as there is no real alternative way to sell milk.

If you have a milk contract with one of these big companies the contract often states that you must sell them ALL your milk and can not sell any direct.

Some (often smaller) farmers do sell "raw" milk direct ie unpasteurised at the farm gate or at farmers markets and some have bottling and processing facilities themselves - but setting up these facilities is expensive and so not many farmers can invest in such equipment unless they knew they had a guarrantteed market for selling local milk.

If a farmer is not going to sell to the big milk processing companies but to sell direct to the consumer then it is hard to compete on price with the big supermarkets for milk and so these farmers add value to their milk by making local yogurts, ice cream, cheese, etc.... it is easier to sell local dairy produce such as this than local milk (as people expect milk to the cheap)... The economics are slightly different if you are an organic dairy farmer as people will pay a bit more for organic milk and there are seperate processing companies for organic. So you are more likely to find a supplier of local organic milk than of local non-organic.

But if people start to demand local milk and let farmers and milkmen know they would pay higher than supermarket prices to know they are supporting their local farm then a hope local milk will become more widespread across the country..

If super dairies do get permission in the uk with cows kept indoors 24 / 7 then that might trigger a demand for "free range" milk ie for milk from cows who are grass fed outdoors...

organic milk will always be free range as that is part of the organic standards..

art

artichoke

anguk wrote: »

I wondered if the discount was so small because they didn't have many members? The US store had 1000s of members so was able to give a higher discount for less hours worked.

Yes, this is true - the discount at the People's Supermarket will go up as the get more members and therefore can buy in bulk more and pass the saving on to the members (rather than to the shareholders which is what the big supermarkets do).

art

phizzimum

artichoke wrote: »

If super dairies do get permission in the uk with cows kept indoors 24 / 7 then that might trigger a demand for "free range" milk ie for milk from cows who are grass fed outdoors...

organic milk will always be free range as that is part of the organic standards..

art

I was thinking the same thing when I watched the programme - surely only "super-dairies" will be able to produce milk at such a low price. It's ironic that more and more people are refusing to buy battery eggs or chicken these days, but we're moving towards battery dairy without people being aware of it.

Seakay

Someone was asking about the Co Op and milk - some good news here:
http://www.co-operative.coop/food/whats-hot/Food-news/The-Co-operative-announces-plans-for-dedicated-milk-supply-scheme/

artichoke

hi

on "farming today" yesterday morning "Dairy UK" say they are in favour of large mega dairies as one of the options for the uk consumer... what options i wanted to scream at the radio:mad:

the problem is if mega dairies become the cheapest source of milk then supermarkets and milkmen will have to source milk from them...as consumers are used to cheap milk

We the consumer don't have many options as to what types of milk to buy...

it seems there are 2 options in most places

buy milk from a supermarket and it comes from a large processor who probably does not give the farmer a good price

buy milk from a milkman and it comes from a larger processor company who probably does not give the farmer a good price
..



or organic milk which is not local but has higher welfare standards than the mega dairies will have ie the cows have to be grass fed as far as possible..

in very few areas do we have the option of buying local milk from a local farm...

hopefully if mega dairies do get planning permission people will begin to think about where there milk comes from and if they want indoor cows or if they want free range local milk that they can trace back to a particular farm..

art

Farway

Seakay wrote: »

Someone was asking about the Co Op and milk - some good news here:
http://www.co-operative.coop/food/whats-hot/Food-news/The-Co-operative-announces-plans-for-dedicated-milk-supply-scheme/

Just seems a bit too little too late, having closed their own dairy near Swindon a few years back they are now claiming to support British farmers, having made many redundant when they closed their own dairy

I'm sure there is a word to describe this type of action, but I will not use it

I_luv_cats

suzybloo wrote: »

Just watching this just now and I am appalled at the waste of good food when people in this country are having to scrape together every last penny to get food on their table, Prices should be slashed right down and there would be so much less waste. What he has found dumped in the skip I am sure us OS mse'ers would be delighted to use

Wonder where my nearest place would be!!!

I think it is criminal the amount of food that is thrown away!
The programme says that the supermarkets maintain their profits so it is the customers that pay for the waste!!

I like Sainsbury for selling "Basics" of odd shapes / sizes / looking fruit n veg.

Why do Supermarkets strangle the suppliers??

vesper

I am about to watch this, but I presume from your comments that there is a bit about supermarkets/ shops chucking out-of-date stock or broken stuff. One of my friends works as a butcher for a large cash and carry store and he says you would be amazed by the amount of stuff they throw away. They can not sell anything with thats days date on, so the majority of it goes in the bin. He recons its even worse on the fruit and veg side, they will just chuck anything away. The amount of times he has asked if he can take stuff home as it is perfectly ok, but is always told now its against policy if its fresh stuff.
The other week they were about to throw away loads of wine and beer as the pallet had been dropped. One box of beer had smashed on the pallet but as they were open crates they had to throw everything away in case there was broken glass on it. It was stupid that it was all going to be wasted. Currently have a few nice boxes of beer and wine sat in my shed as he 'saved' them (with unofficial permission of his boss).
He recons they throw a couple of thousand of pounds worth of food away a week that would be perfectly fine.

Kleopatra

Zippychick closed the Its Tough thread yesterday because "duplicate threads aren't allowed"
I have just noticed another thread on the food and drink forum called Would you volunteer in an ethical supermarket for a discount on food? which is discussing this TV programme too.

red_devil

i have been watching this also.