During the month of March, the world will commemorate three significant environmental observance days: World Forestry Day (March 21), World Water Day (March 22), and World Meteorological Day (March 23). Additionally, World Consumer Rights Day will also be observed on March 15, and we are aware of the inevitable impacts of consumerism on the health of our planet.
Therefore, throughout the month of March the EMA will feature articles highlighting trending discussions on each topic. Today’s article will discuss consumer rights and the higher-than-average cost of healthy foods on the market.
Typically on World Consumer Rights Day there is a focus on promoting the basic rights of all consumers, demanding that those rights be respected and protected, and protesting about the market abuses and social injustices which undermine them.
Organised by Consumers International (CI), this year’s theme is centred on the consumers’ rights to healthy food. There is a tendency for healthy foods to attract a higher price tag than the mass-produced burger and fries. Therefore, how accessible are healthy foods?
There are obvious benefits to eating healthier foods, most notably having a longer life span. If you are vegetarian and incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet, you are also less susceptible to meat/poultry-borne diseases and high cholesterol. Consumers International (CI) state that “the rise in diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers represents a major international public health crisis. The number of overweight and obese people continues to rise, and to date, not a single country has been successful in reversing the increase.”
CI further says that “consumers and consumer choices are central to resolving this problem. The availability and affordability of unhealthy foods, the marketing practices of large international food companies, and the lack of information available to consumers make it increasingly hard to choose a healthy diet.”
This is evident in T&T, where we still see long lines at popular fast-food chains across the country despite the numerous health warnings about fast food. If we examine the cost comparison between producing green foods and the typical burger and fries, we will begin to understand why fast food is often preferred. Mass production of these fast-food items carries cheaper labour costs and often sub-standard ingredients, making it less nutritious but more affordable to the consumer. Mass-produced food requires an indoor factory, workers and equipment. Healthy organic foods require much more: land mass for cultivation, workers, the right weather conditions, fertilisers, harvesting machinery, etc.
If one is venturing into the organic food business one may encounter several challenges which can be reflected in a higher food cost. To become an organic food wholesale supplier you require certification, which can attract a fee depending on which part of the world you are in. If the retailer/grocery outlet also decides to become a certified organic food provider, then they may also pay a certification fee which the customer absorbs. Additionally, organic food growers are required to adopt natural farming practices such as chemical/fertiliser-free methods, and finding natural solutions to problems such as pest control may not always be cheap. Pest reduction can therefore become a labour-intensive task.
Healthier food items containing rare or “exotic” ingredients such as the infamous “super foods” loaded with antioxidants and vitamins (acai berries, gogi berries, pomegranate, quinoa, fresh salmon, extra virgin olive oil) naturally attract higher costs owing to the rarity of these items, some of which are grown in specific countries. So unless you live in Brazil, purchasing acai berries may be expensive!
Green foods such as fruits and vegetables also have a shorter shelf life as they are not injected with preserving agents, which can be a loss to the manufacturer. It is easier to mass-produce burgers and fries, package and freeze them for months. It is difficult to freeze some fruits and vegetables and often, the nutritional content may be lost if these foods are not served in their natural state. Besides, no one wants to eat freezer-burnt lettuce!
Marketing also impacts on the consumer’s preference for fast foods. Many large, multinational food corporations spend billions of dollars in advertising annually to make their products “mouth-watering” to consumers, which has given rise to the profession of “food artists.” Different types of chemicals and techniques are used to create this “mouth-watering” effect, which has an instant impact on the consumer. Green food producers on the other hand may lack the financial resources to market their products and are unable to compete with the fast-food giants. The result is that the average citizen will walk past the salad bar and order the juicy steak with golden fries.
The cost of “green” foods may possibly decrease if there is a greater demand by the consumer for this healthier alternative. A greater demand means that food producers may have to rethink their menus, thus stimulate a “green food industry.” Greater availability of healthier foods may drive the cost of these items down but until then, consumers will continue joining the long queues in fast-food restaurants.