
Shopped
The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets
Joanna Blythman(Author)
Fourth Estate Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 4. May 2004
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-0-00-715803-4 (ISBN)
Description
An elegant demolition of the supermarket miracle, this book charts the impact that supermarkets have had on every aspect of our lives and culture. Did you know...; Almost 50% of supermarket fruit and vegetables contain pesticide residues?* UK supermarkets make 40p on every GBP1 spent on bananas while plantations workers are paid just 1p?* Supermarkets operate a climate of fear amongst their suppliers?* Every time a supermarket opens the local community loses on average 276 jobs?In the 1970s, British supermarkets had only 10% of the UK's grocery spend. Now they swallow up 80%, influencing how we shop, what we eat, how we spend our leisure time, how much rubbish we generate, even the very look of our physical environment. Award-winning food writer Joanna Blythman investigates the enormous impact that these big box retailers are having on our lives.
She meets the farmers who are selling food to supermarkets for less than they need to survive, the wholesalers who have been eliminated from the supply chain, travels to suburban retail parks to meet the teenagers and part-timers who stack our shelves and reveals the hoops third world suppliers must jump through to earn supermarket contracts. This thought-provoking, witty and sometimes chilling voyage of discovery is sure to make you think twice before you reach for that supermarket trolley quite so enthusiastically ever again.
She meets the farmers who are selling food to supermarkets for less than they need to survive, the wholesalers who have been eliminated from the supply chain, travels to suburban retail parks to meet the teenagers and part-timers who stack our shelves and reveals the hoops third world suppliers must jump through to earn supermarket contracts. This thought-provoking, witty and sometimes chilling voyage of discovery is sure to make you think twice before you reach for that supermarket trolley quite so enthusiastically ever again.
Reviews / Votes
'She probably knows more than anyone else about where our food comes from.' Nigel SlaterPRAISE FOR THE FOOD OUR CHILDREN EAT:'Full of inspiration and information, and just enough fulmination to keep the reader's enthusiasm on the boil.' TES'A revelation ... it takes a book like this to inspire you.' Good Housekeeping'Joanna Blythman comes to the rescue with a practical selection of sensible ideas, strategies and suggestions.' Sunday HeraldMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Illustrations
With index
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
Weight
568 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-715803-4 (9780007158034)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Joanna Blythman is Britain's leading investigative food journalist and an influential commentator on the British food chain. She has won three prestigious Glenfiddich awards for her writing. She writes for the Guardian and several other magazines and newspapers, and broadcasts frequently on food issues. She has two children.