With the agri-food crisis and widespread price rises, many consumers have taken refuge in the supermarket’s own brands to save on their shopping basket. But what are the consequences of this change in our consumption habits for the local economy and the environment? How can we save money by practising conscious consumption? Núria Rambla, executive assistant at 11Onze, explains in a new episode of Estat de la Nació.
The sanitary crisis changed the shopping habits of many consumers, who showed a growing preference for local products and local shops. Rising inflation, the agri-food crisis, and the drop in purchasing power of many families are causing a new change in priorities towards price-focused purchases, replacing top-brand products with the supermarket’s own brand.
From the consumer’s point of view, the savings from buying the supermarket’s own brand at a lower price is the clear advantage of own-branded products. On the other hand, the low price of some of these products may be due to lower production costs in the country of origin and the lower price paid to the producer. As Rambla points out, “the supermarket’s own brand is the one that suffocates the farmer and the producer the most“.
“Supermarkets’ own-brands suffocate the farmer”
Conscious consumption and the future of the primary sector
The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the strategic value of the primary sector. It is difficult to face an agri-food crisis if we do not have local production that covers the needs of the territory or, at the very least, helps us to negotiate better conditions when buying imported products that have assumed exorbitant prices.
As Rambla points out, “the primary sector accounts for 20% of our production”. Hence, the importance of looking after it and “trying to prevent it from disappearing”. And he adds: “If we are consuming everything from abroad, we will be totally dependent on the imports and much more vulnerable. People from abroad will decide on price changes”.
The final decision on whether we opt for private labels, local products, or local trade depends on each family’s situation, but 11Onze wants to do our bit by offering advice, tools, and products to empower our community members to take control of their finances.
11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Doncs sí, si no cuidem el nostre entorn més próxim, malament. Cal cuidar-lo 👍
Cal cuidar-lo, i tant. Així de senzill i de complex a la vegada!
Ja hi ha marca blanca que promet proximitat i preu just. Això ha d’ajuda ha tothom al nostre entorn.
Doncs sí, Pere, això ens pot anar bé a tots, bon producte i a bon preu. Moltes gràcies pel teu comentari!!!
Hi hagut una tendència a consumir allò que és fàcil i ràpid, els cal tornar en aquell temps que perdin alguna cosa d’una col en podem treure molts plats sans i diferents ,gaudir del menjar sa ,assoborejar-lo
I a banda d’ajudar al comerç local, contribuïm a millorar la nostra salut amb el que dius, Alícia. Gràcies pel teu comentari!
Molt encertat el q ens exposa la Núria.
Coincideixo amb tu, Manuel. Hem de començar a virar cap a un consum cada cop més local, de forma que, com diu la Núria, la crisi que s’espera sigui una mica més lleu en el nostre entorn.
Potser no s’és prou conscient de la importància d’una bona alimentació, principalment en els infants i el cost no es té com a primera i essencial despesa.
Del tot d’acord, Mercè. Ben segur que podem prescindir de despeses no essencials per a dedicar-les a això que sí que és essencial; ens hi va la salut i la nostra pagesia i ramaderia.