Shoppers to 'abandon organic food to cut bills'

[T_i_B]

Source: Daily Telegraph

Shoppers who have previously been willing to pay up to 50 per cent more for organic meat, or fair trade coffee, could soon ignore ethical concerns in favour of keeping their shopping bills down.

The prediction comes from the influential forecasting group, the Ernst & Young ITEM club, which warns food inflation – running at 6.6 per cent, according to Government data – could get worse.

Joel Segal, the head of consumer products at the accountancy firm, said: "We are in a perfect economic storm and we are still seeing plenty of dark clouds ahead. "Higher-end consumers will have to make a trade off. Either they stick to their principles, or – as they batten down the hatches – they may decide that they can live without fair trade or organic in order to avoid cutting back in other areas."

No retailer has reported any fall off in organic food, so far. Indeed, sales of free-range eggs and organic chickens rose earlier this year, following a series of television programmes presented by Jamie Oliver, the celebrity chef, highlighting poultry welfare. However, Mr Segal points out that both organic and fair trade food commands a considerable premium over standard food lines.



Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1990674/Shoppers-to-%27abandon-organic-food-to-cut-bills%27.html

[Sherman A1]

1. This is not all that they will abandon

Shopping patterns take a bit to see develop, but organic are a frill for many and will be among the items that are cut or cut back upon. You will see an increase in store brands, more coupon use and shifting of sales hours (concentrating more on the 3-7pm bracket, as people shop after school and on the way home from work, along with increased weekend slaes as part of a combined trip). You may also see out-of-stocks increasing as store deliveries are cut back to conserve truck fuel (many stores have very small back room areas, being designed for just in time, daily deliveries).
This is a whole new game coming in my opinion, the likes of which will be closer to WWII rationing, than to the gas crunch and recession of the 1970s.

[dipsydoodle]

2. I hadn't realised you had rationing

in the USA. We had it in the UK - last thing off was sweets in the summer of 1953 to coincide with the Queens Coronation.

[heliarc]

7. One of my favorite books...

How to cook a wolf by MFK fisher... This is perhaps the best record of that time with a graceful prose that I have encountered. Thank you, Mother England for your sacrifices.

[Xipe Totec]

11. Victory Gin will be next nt

[Sherman A1]

5. Yes,

There was rationing during the Second World War. Gasoline and many other products were rationed. I think we will see the economic equivalent of this coming up very soon. There will be no "A" stickers for your car to get gas, just the ability to afford the product or not and in many cases that will be not or other items will be left on the shelves.

[dipsydoodle]

3. I think more people

will start growing their own if they want organic.

[Grinchie]

4. Thats Great News!

It means lower prices for me, and I get to live longer.

Personally, since it seems like it will take a wheelbarrow full of money to buy bread (Yummy Dough Enhancers) by the end of the year, there realy is no savings, especially when you are poisoning yourself. I guess thay can save a few cents for their medical bills, if the blokes had them...

Is Your Colon RoundUp Ready? Ask Monsanto!

Have some RGBH on me!

[heliarc]

6. I think the tone of this article and/or study is wrong...

It assumes that organic is somehow only an ethical consideration... I have a daughter who breastfeeds. We do our best to keep pesticides out of her our systems and hers as well...

For us Organic is not a choice anymore. If organic is available, I buy the organic... because its the health of my daughter is not up for compromise. I'm lucky that I can afford it, but frankly, it's the highest priority that we eat right.

[SpiralHawk]

8. This is a BS story

as it reveals about itself:

"No retailer has reported any fall off in organic food, so far."

[T_i_B]

9. It's a speculation story yes

Which is why I made sure that line was included in the OP. But I can see the logic of people going for the cheaper stuff if food prices keep going up. If nothing else the possibility is worth discussing.

[OwnedByFerrets]

15. It may be BS.....

to you, but it sure as hell has hit me. We cant afford the prices of organic much. I am not one of the have mores. We have been hit extremely hard by these higher prices, and I know we are not alone.

[nradisic]

10. I don't think so...

The caveat is that this is an English newspaper article....Any how...I went to our local Whole Foods with one of my daughters yesterday afternoon and we had to wait for a minute to pull into the parking lot, which was mobbed....as in full! We had to drive to the back lot and park about as far from the store as you can. The store was very busy...

Eating healthy and organic is what my family does. My kids do not eat crap.I'd rather spend our money on healthy food for the family, while helping the planet. Apparently there are many other like-minded Americans. In my view we will only see a broader proliferation of organic foods in the near future and not less....

[bread_and_roses]

14. That means that you have a choice. Good for you.

However, for some, the choice will be buying organic and not eating the part of the month, or buying processed and eating all month. I think their choice is obvious.

[donco]

12. All this gloom and doom

sxxx, when we get this band of fools out of office, and the world starts to see that we will have some sanity leading our country, the dollar will start coming back to its natural level. Eureka, stability.

[T_i_B]

13. That's the general view over here.....

the difference being that it's the Conservatives who are the main beneficiary of the anti-government feeling.