Food Chain: 1/21 of 21

Curbing supermarkets' power: will the Groceries Code Adjudicator have the teeth to bite?

Murray Worthy

16th May, 2012

Tackling the unfair buying practices of the big supermarkets is a vital step forward for securing the rights of over a million workers. From fruit to textiles to cut flowers, abuses in the supply chain are rife. Now we must guard against lobbying from the retail giants, says Murray Worthy more...

Pepper: how our favourite spice is tainted by a deadly legacy

Frederik Johannisson and Peter Bengtsen

25th January, 2011

From India to Indonesia pepper farmers are increasingly vulnerable to harvest failures, food price crashes and price fixing, an investigation by Frederik Johannisson & Peter Bengtsen of Danwatch has revealed more...

Who is picking our food?

Ecologist

2nd March, 2012

In a major investigation the Ecologist reports on the hidden stories behind those harvesting the fruit and vegetables - and other staples - we eat everyday, both in the UK and internationally more...

CASE STUDY: local, sustainable fishing from bait to plate

Carol Trewin

1st February, 2007

Many global fish stocks are on the verge of collapse but, nearer home, Cornish fishermen have found a sustainable way of earning a living. more...

Concerns rise about the effect of fish farming on smaller 'prey' species

Ewan Kingston

1st April 2009

A new report from Oceana warns that plundering the seas to fuel our fish farms is having serious and far-reaching effects... more...

The banana brief

Ed Hamer

2nd June, 2008

From plantation to consumer: a tale of chemicals, slavery and CO₂ more...

How to be free: Supermarket suffocation

Tom Hodgkinson

1st June, 2008

I have to confess I've been feeling thoroughly gloomy about the state of the nation lately, and I blame a certain supermarket chain that I shall call 'Blank' more...

Behind the Label: Roundup Weedkiller

Pat Thomas

1st April, 2008

A weedkiller that kills a lot more than simply weeds? If it’s worse than the poison it’s no cure at all, says Pat thomas
more...

Whole Foods failure

Chris Milton

1st March, 2008

Only a few years ago, stories about Whole Foods Market became famous for their poetic quality, as journalists waxed lyrical about how the fresh, organic fruit in their stores was proof that you could be a successful business while remaining environmentally friendly. Last year, however, sustained questioning by consumers and regulators alike saw the shine come off the company’s glossy image. more...

Milk cartel accused of price fixing

News

21st September, 2007

The Office of Fair Trading has accused the big four supermarkets of colluding with dairies to artificially increase the cost of dairy foods. more...

Supermarkets: The naked truth

The Ecologist

15th January, 2006

The Ecologist September 2004 issue caused a sensation with its report on supermarkets: From the chemicals in a bagged salad to the destruction of local shops the report reveals all the facts the supermarkets don't want you to know...
more...

The trouble with organics

Joanna Blythman

17th June, 2005

Organic food is not necessarily the automatic choice for the ethical consumer more...

Food Chain: 1/21 of 21

Special Report Supermarkets: UK Apple Market

Felicity Lawrence

1st September, 2004

We were being given 20 to 21 pence a kilo, they were selling them in the stores at twice that, and we needed 32 pence to break even. The prices would change by the day, and then they’d take 60 to 90 days to pay you. more...

Permanent Global Summertime

Joanna Blythman

1st September, 2004

As the supermarket doors glide open there they are – cosmetically perfect, irresistibly firm, brilliantly coloured fruit and vegetables. And yet, when you get them home, they taste of nothing. Is it the way you cooked them, or have you just selected badly? No, you’ve been conned. more...

Defra's overstretched marine budget would be cut under Tories

Malcolm Tait

1st September, 2004

The seabirds of Shetland and Orkney are in ‘deep trouble’, according to the RSPB. Could this be the first real indicator that our lives are about to change quickly and dramatically as a result of climate change? more...

Beware the buyer

Joanna Blythman

1st September, 2004

Supermarkets are keen to portray themselves as loyal and supportive business partners, nurturing suppliers in their quest for the best deal for consumers. more...

Percy Schmeiser: the man that took on Monsanto

Edward Goldsmith.

1st May, 2004

For 40 years Percy Schmeiser grew oilseed rape on his farm in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Usually, he would sow each year’s crop with seeds saved from the previous harvest. In 1998 Monsanto took Schmeiser to court. more...

Lyme disease - what is the real cause?

Mark Walters

1st February, 2004

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 30 serious new diseases have emerged in the last three decades. Mark Walters describes one of them, Lyme disease, and shows how our destruction of the environment is inextricably linked to its proliferation more...

Smithfield Foods: the truth behind its pigs and factories

Robert Kennedy Jr

1st December, 2003

The Ecologist goes inside the workings of Smithfield to reveal the true horrors of its pig production business more...

Debate, What Debate?

Andy Rowell

1st July, 2003

The GM public debate, which runs throughout June and July, is the public’s chance to express any concerns it may have over the growing of GM crops in Britain. Andy Rowell explains why your participation is vital more...