Pressure on the nation's purse still outweighs plight of planet
SCOTLAND - Ethical shopping is the most important trend on the high street, with everyone from retailers to manufacturers making increasingly bold claims about their environmental or social credentials.
1 October 2007
2 minute read
But British consumers still put the cost and convenience of food ahead of their concerns about the planet, according to a survey.
Research by BBC Countryfile magazine reveals that the top priority for a third of food shoppers is price. What is more, half of us believe that locally produced food is more expensive than other produce, and 41 per cent say that this perceived expense is likely to prevent them from buying locally produced goods.
The results highlight the dilemma faced by Scottish farmers, who have called in recent weeks for price rises on the supermarket shelves in order to make Scotland's agricultural industry more sustainable. Prolonged low prices have threatened the future of many producers, with several major pig producers set to give up in the face of likely losses. But the evidence from the Countryfile survey suggests price rises could put off shoppers from choosing Scottish produce in place of cheaper food from elsewhere.
Source: The Scotsman
Research by BBC Countryfile magazine reveals that the top priority for a third of food shoppers is price. What is more, half of us believe that locally produced food is more expensive than other produce, and 41 per cent say that this perceived expense is likely to prevent them from buying locally produced goods.
The results highlight the dilemma faced by Scottish farmers, who have called in recent weeks for price rises on the supermarket shelves in order to make Scotland's agricultural industry more sustainable. Prolonged low prices have threatened the future of many producers, with several major pig producers set to give up in the face of likely losses. But the evidence from the Countryfile survey suggests price rises could put off shoppers from choosing Scottish produce in place of cheaper food from elsewhere.
Source: The Scotsman
