The tipping point

Although I use it loads, I am not a great fan of Tesco. I end up cooking meals to fit in with what I find on the shelves of our Metro Express. Further down the road is a CostCutter that has an amazing range but is just a bit pricey. There is also a Spar right next to the Metro Express that I know is often cheaper but I hardly ever bother to check it out. Tesco is a giant with enormous buying and bullying power. It seems to be shaping our eating and buying habits. But despite all this cheap food are we any happier or healthier? It claims to be working in the interests of the customer. I would suspect that it is much more concerned with making lots of dosh and the fact that we get cheaper food is a byproduct.

There was an article in last week's Scottish Big Issue. It was the Vendor's View. Here is how his spiral into homelessness began.

'I was in agricultural management for a while in Spalding, Lincolnshire. We saw the produce come in, sorted it out and boxed it up. I had my own team of fruit importers. I felt like the boss. I loved seeing all the food come in from around the world. Cranberries from North America and melons from Brazil. There were lychees and other fruits - things I've forgotten from God knows where.

'Unfortunately, Tesco came in and ruined it for me. They bought up all the land in places like Guatemala and began to run things directly from these places, and so it cut out the fruit importers here.'

Whilst coutries were trying to build empires in previous centuries, are we seeing Tesco building a retail empire in our global 21st century? Has anyone the power or inclination to stop it?