Food too expensive? It’s time for public grocery stores
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Look, I’m all for making the world a better place. So here’s my 2c, from somebody who’s tried and done it in a small manner. You’ll need allies, partners. You’ll face a lot of doubt and questions. If you meet it all with outright hostility, you’re never going to get very far. Sure, we’re all online randos, but if you can’t muster a decent argument with all the time in the world, you’re going to have a hard time persuading anybody in the real world.
do you have an actual argument or are you just nitpicking?
And what part of that comment was indented to make me an ally or not perceive you as outrightly hostile?
Cute adhominim at the end there. Couldn’t resist could you? Ya hypocrite.
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Only available for children in the summer… I don’t think this isn’t the solution being proposed.
It is a solution in search of a problem. And it would create far more expensive problems than it proposes to solve. The Soviets already did this kind of thing--the same Soviets who deliberately starved millions to death with manufactured food shortages.
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I have found that my local co-op has some great prices for some items and others that are more expensive but it depends on what I need to purchase. Their bulk teas are such a good deal and really the only place I can buy bulk teas. Their bulk goods are a good deal as well. Some of the fruit and vegetables are a good deal unless its not in season. Their bread (freshly made from a local bakery) tastes amazing and a great deal as well.
That being said I don’t love their meat selection (smaller selection, more expensive but has a few gems), nor do I like to buy their boxed standard goods. Broths, snacks, canned goods or anything like that is more expensive and doesn’t seem worth it for the quality difference. The key is to find a few anchors that get you there. I don’t go as often to my co-op compared to my local trader joes.
This is partly because there is no good supply chain or real wholesale market for mid priced consumer packaged goods. It’s essentially completely owned by the ogilopolies.
There is for produce and meats which share the supply chain with restaurants.
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Ever heard of a co-op? They usually deal directly with the providers. No middlemen.
I’ve worked with co-ops both on the retail grocery side and ag aggregator side, and the traditional supply chain is similar. The ag co-ops serve as a middleman, and the retail grocery will usually deal with a distributor.
The grocery co-op had way more direct accounts (hundreds) than a traditional grocery, but that was mostly for smaller company specialty goods. The vast majority of the product moving off the shelves was bought from one of two big distributors.
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This is partly because there is no good supply chain or real wholesale market for mid priced consumer packaged goods. It’s essentially completely owned by the ogilopolies.
There is for produce and meats which share the supply chain with restaurants.
Makes complete sense to me. Its also lots of work to create some of those goods at home. I refuse to make my own broth despite everyone saying its easy and delicious. I don’t have the time nor do I want to store it
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What we need are co-ops. Unfortunately it’s hard to run one of those. They tend to not make so much money.
Maybe as a nation, we shouldn’t be letting profits get in the way of feeding people? Just a wild suggestion.
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It is a solution in search of a problem. And it would create far more expensive problems than it proposes to solve. The Soviets already did this kind of thing--the same Soviets who deliberately starved millions to death with manufactured food shortages.
Is there a name for the fallacy that something is doomed to fail just because some quasi-communist state tried to implement something similar at some point?
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Is there a name for the fallacy that something is doomed to fail just because some quasi-communist state tried to implement something similar at some point?
The fallacy is failing to understand the authoritarian spirit behind purported 'humanitarian' causes, especially those that involve using the deadly force of the state for funding. People who worship the idol of political power are generally lacking awareness of their own desire to boss others around. Failing to learn from history is part and parcel of the matter. Giving government ubiquitous control over the food supply has one result, and history has proved it a hundred times over. Complain all you want about greed in the market--government is near infinitely greedier.
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I’ve worked with co-ops both on the retail grocery side and ag aggregator side, and the traditional supply chain is similar. The ag co-ops serve as a middleman, and the retail grocery will usually deal with a distributor.
The grocery co-op had way more direct accounts (hundreds) than a traditional grocery, but that was mostly for smaller company specialty goods. The vast majority of the product moving off the shelves was bought from one of two big distributors.
Not sure why you got down voted buts the current supply chain.
Not sure how it would change since they are already taxing people on food but it would need to be cheaper than the grocery store.
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The fallacy is failing to understand the authoritarian spirit behind purported 'humanitarian' causes, especially those that involve using the deadly force of the state for funding. People who worship the idol of political power are generally lacking awareness of their own desire to boss others around. Failing to learn from history is part and parcel of the matter. Giving government ubiquitous control over the food supply has one result, and history has proved it a hundred times over. Complain all you want about greed in the market--government is near infinitely greedier.
Alright friend, OP certainly never implied “giving government ubiquitous control over the food supply” by any means, so at least this is clearly a simple case of strawman fallacy.
edit: like if you think about it for literally more than two seconds, you’ll realize that OP’s idea involved building capacity amongst the general population for horticulture, something which fundamentally opposes the idea of giving government ubiquitous control.
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That’s not the case everywhere, sucks to live In a sucky place, don’t project your issues on the rest of world. The farmers markets in Canada are farmer selling their produce, it’s cheaper than big box stores, and they take all the profit themselves other than rent for a stall.
How do they work in your country?
There are proper farmers markets in Cali and some other locales where it is price competitive vis-a-vis grocery in season … but they are not wide spread and it is very much an exception to the rule on quality produce access year around.
How do Canadian markets operate in the winter?
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There are proper farmers markets in Cali and some other locales where it is price competitive vis-a-vis grocery in season … but they are not wide spread and it is very much an exception to the rule on quality produce access year around.
How do Canadian markets operate in the winter?
Indoors?
Lots of vertical farming as well.
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@TORFdot0@lemmy.world
The school cafeterias could remain open 24/7 for everyone. Sure, taxes would go up about 50% or so, but free sloppy joes would be well worth it, amirite?Our society lacks sufficient trust to have something work like this.
Also, there certainly going to be negative externalities when mixing kids with the poor.
I doubt anyone would sign on this security wise. Schools are already border line prison conditions in the US.
