Categories: uncategorized
Date: 28 February 2006 16:24:36
I've had a wonderful day reading items that bring smiles to my faces. One of the best being that good old McD's are struggling in the UK. They are struggling so much that they're closing 25 branches and making a further 50 into franchise branches.
Being someone who detests what McD stands for this is like manna from heaven. How can a company that advertises itself as the Restaurant of the 2006 World Cup claim to various EU VAT authorities that they should not be classed as restaurant? In so doing they avoid having to charge VAT on food purchased there.
Then there was the link on Dave's log about the vicar protesting against Tesco.
I have already been mounting a one man campaign against Tesco and their purchasing habits. Its good to see that there are plenty of people out there who agree.
I don't want to see a Tesco on every corner.
Living in rural Warwickshire 4 days a week I understand the pressures felt on rural communities when their local shops are forced to close. It's bad enough that I have to make a 20 mile round trip to visit my nearest Natwest branch.
Yet the government does nothing to protect either the rural consumer or the rural producer. Even after Big Tone's comment that Tesco had suppliers in an armlock nothing was done. Part of the problem is that the government is to sensitive to lobbying by interested parties and focus groups, usually selected to provide the required answers.
The major supermarkets are not interested in paying fair prices to farmers and other suppliers. They want them to take all the risks, to return unsold products and to pay on terms dictated by themselves. When they get reduced prices these are not passed on but used to increase their profits.
Yet it would take a major change in attitude by the government and the "City" to change things. So long as the City insist on ever increasing profits, no matter who suffers, nothing will change.
As Christians we need to take a lead in promoting Fairtrade. Yet Fairtrade should not just be aimed at overseas producers in poor countries but also at home. If you don't believe me, then you talk to farmers who are struggling to make ends meet on £10,000 per year. Forced to plough under perfectly good crops because the carrots aren't straight enough or the cabbages are to big. They aren't allowed to sell these items on through markets or independent grocers.
In addition there is the green issue to consider. If we buy more items, that we could produce here, from overseas markets then the impact on the environment should be factored in. Food miles are an important factor to consider.
An interesting argument I read about the government's poor policies on the rural economy, noted that as we run out of fossil fuels what will happen? If we've run down our agricultural industry where will we get the food from. What happens to the skills lost?
I can't milk a cow. I have no idea on helping animals to give birth, other than what I learnt from watching All Creatures Great and Small on TV. I couldn't plough a field. So who's going to do it?
If there