Sleeping with the enemy

Hi Ann

Thanks for the post, which adds another perspective to this debate about supermarkets.

I think it's too easy to suggest that people who shop in supermarkets do so because of price/convenience and thos that choose not to shop in supermarkets are somhow middle class and more priviledged. I know quite a few people on the dole who don't use supermarkets. I've spent years actively participating in the sourcing of my food, and even managed to persuage my small village Budgens to stock organic milk, cheese, veg and even wine by the end. Yes, the consumer does have some influence. But ultimately, the main intention of a corporate food supplier is to maximise profits. It's not a bad thing, it's just a fact. After all these years of interacting with supermarkets in various ways, I've come to the understanding that we will not fundamentally get supermarkets to change.

I do sometimes wonder, too whether there's sometimes an element of transitioners making excuses when they say that supermarkets are essentially a fact of life and that we should be able to choose where we shop. Despite a plentiful supply of local food, if one's creative, many of the transitioners here in my town still shop mainly in supermarkets, just as they still use aeroplanes a  fair bit. I wonder, is it lack of information, laziness, an unwillingness to engage deeply with the details of how supermarkets have eroded our food systems or what? I'm wondering a lot these days! ...

It is difficult to know the best solution for such a tricky problem. Currently, I live in Wrexham, which is not a Transition town , nor does it have any local vegetable growers within a 20 mile or more radius... Supermarkets (pretty much every single one except Waitrose ) are already here!! There are no options for people but to shop at supermarkets. The area is  quite deprived, so the cheapest supermarkets tend to outcompete the others. They are unfortunately here to stay unless there are huge culture shifts, and more favourable alternatives for people. It is going to take time or a crisis for a culture shift to happen.

To be judgemental of these people seems harsh, as many do not understand the seriousness of things; they are often caught up in their very own problems.Such dichotomous labelling of people as right or wrong is not the best way to move forwards and inspire people to change.

We need to do the best we can to inform the general population by engaging their interest and demonstrating little pockets of success stories within the community - and promoting the success stories - not by criticising them or telling them what to do...

These are real people just trying to be happy and  doing the best that they can with the information they have or situation that they find themselves in.

I personally feel that in order to make a quicker shift in the general population mindset, we should utilise the power and reputation of the Co op and work with them and not against them...Supermarkets are here to stay for now, so why not support the ones that are trying to make a positive difference?

However, I express this opinion while hoping that we can reach a balance between large companies and the independant local retailers in the future...(much more of the latter!!)...But, we have to start somewhere :(

I'm not sure I have anything to add at the moment, but thank you for all the really interesting posts. I don't think we should label anyone or anything as the enemy as it creates an us and them mentality, better to work with or in parallel to create the alternatives that you want. I think it would be very interesting to work with low income communities around alternatives to the supermarkets. There is a lot of this happening in Glasgow.

I've enjoyed this debate and I've learned a few things. I feel a mix of compassion and anger when I read about towns such as Wrexham or cash-poor transitioners or elderly people who can now only shop in supermarkets.

But this is entirely a sitation of of our own creation. I feel that it's not enough to feel like victims, but to actively, passionately, work either to influenence from within or to create new realities from without.

As Charlotte said, the problem is that we're living in a dream, the dream of consumerism in a world where the commons are turned into money. I find that continuing with supermarket buying just tends to perpetuate that dream; stepping off allows us more space and freedom to choose differently. For example, I find that a good selection of dry herbs and spices, a sack of potatoes, some 5kg  of staples from infinity foods and some fresh veg and a little meat goes a very long way, for far, far less than what's on offer locally. I relish this way of eating and so, it seems is a small and growing band.

For me, transition is about radical new realities. Sure, Josiah, go for changing the Coop, and perhaps this strategic approach has far more leverage. In the meantime, I know what lights my fire!

I do take your point and can let idealism win over pragmatism. Ultimately, though, do supermarkets help or hinder resilient communities - which is what the transition movement is all about? I doubt baby steps will get us to resilient supermarkets.

Let me give you an example: last year, on a week of being a locavore,  I tried to source oats locally and found that not a single farmer in sussex grows oats for humans: a totally unresilient situation.

Today, in Transition Town Lewes's Friday market, the farmer Toos confirmed that last week she'd sown a one acre field of organic oats, which will supply Lewes with a tonne or 1,000 kg of oats. She old me she could supply the oats at the same price as Infinity Foods wholefoods, ie £1 a kg (a fraction of what oats sell for in supermarkets), but probably more than she'd get on the open market.

I've already got 150 of oats pre-ordered from transition friends and we'll start seeking more now we've got a price. We've got a mill for squashing them into oat flakes, a,y husband is already making oatchakes by grinking up oats with a grinder. A;;  we need to do is connect more dots and we have the beginnings of a resilient culture of local grain. Even though it's small, we are starting to learn skills and to work togeher, with retailers, farmers and consumers.

I know this sounds a million miles from supermarket shopping, but in terms of baby steps, I feel this is a far more resilient and, ultimately, pragmatic, approach to sourcing our foods than trying to influnece the supermarkets.

It is well established, in the research, that healthy eating and increased physical activity is good for our health and wellbeing, yet many people ignore this advice...Working as a physiotherapist for 19 years, I have been actively engaged in promoting health behaviour change in the general population...During my work, the positive message of the benefits of living a life with better eating habits and increased exercise, has been a major part of my job. However, the general morbidity of the nation is still increasing despite the pubic being aware of the positive benefits of nutritious food and increased activity. The reasons why they do not adopt a more positive behaviour change is multifactorial.

To change the general populations shopping habits from supermarket shopping is in its relative infancy compared to the message of healthy eating and exercise!

Through my experience, the patients I see, change when you empathise and understand their perspective on things -- to establish their obstacles to behaviour change.It always helps to identify at what stage of readiness they are to actually change, if at all. Often, it is the case of adapting the recommendation of the healthy behaviour to suit their circumstances (such as suggesting they use the stairs instead of a lift rather than saying to join a gym).

You are probably wondering what point I am trying to make? My point, is that we need to look at a variety of solutions to try and bring about a change in supermarket shopping habits. We need to encourage the Coop over Tesco, for example; as well as encouraging more local independant traders. We then stand to catch more people, in a change to a more sustainable solution. My experience  has been that once patients see the benefits of their behaviour changes (no matter how small), it often leads to them improving further and finding their own solutions, and many progress onto greater shifts in positive behaviour change...

Indeed - Pollard's essay is powerful stuff and thanks for the link.

I'm having a dark time of things for various reasons this week, but something keeps screaming at me: we MUST leave some kind of archive behind, so show future generations - and they will almost certainly be there, albeit relatively limited in numbers - where we went wrong. Let's ensure the same mistakes are not made twice - for a change!

love to all - John

Dear Josiah or anyone else

Is anyone in Transtion trying to influence the Coop at a strategic level? I heard mention of it a while back. It would be a good way forward but I strongly doubt they'd be willing to localise. 

Hi!  I have just found this excellent article, and I hope I will see you at the next Co-op Food on Transition Event, which will be on Saturday 28th. April, 10.30 - 4.30 pm at Y Plas, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8ER

I am an Area Committee member for the Co-op (North Wales) and would urge people to stand for election.  We recently held a similar event in Wrexham, and regularly hold members events throughout the Region/Nation - Wales.