Agenda 2019

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/first-food-waste-supermarket-uk-leeds-real-junk-food-project-a7317906.html The UK’s first food waste supermarket opens The food, which may otherwise have found its way to landfill, is used to feed 12,000 children a week. It is a sad reflection on our society that, in the 21st Century in the United Kingdom, there is a necessity for places like this and for Food-banks. We should all feel a sense of shame that we have allowed successive governments to create the environment where the only rapidly growing industries are those charities providing food welfare and even energy welfare in some places, to feed and shelter almost 1 million families in this country today.

  http://metro.co.uk/2015/01/11/milk-is-now-cheaper-than-water-but-its-driving-farmers-out-of-business-5017526/ Milk is now cheaper than water but it’s driving farmers out of business   Supermarkets exploiting milk producers with their purchasing power and water companies exploiting their customers with their excessive charges. A sign of the times in this age of corporate greed profiteering

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/08/tesco-chief-unveils-dramatic-shake-up-troubled-supermarket Almost 100 stores to close What a sick and nasty world the speculators create and live in. On the announcement that nearly 100 Tesco stores will be closed, Head Office will be "relocated" , the employee pension scheme will be axed and that thousands of people will loose their jobs, the share price increases by 15%. The financial "markets" make "loads a money" at the expense of peoples lives. I have little sympathy for Tesco. My criticism is of the speculators making money from the share price increase as a result of people losing their jobs. As usual it is the employees who pay the price of management ineptitude and in the case of Tesco, boardroom practices which probably verge on illegality. Personally, I never shop in Tesco for three main reasons. The price of their produce is too high. The quality of their goods is  in many cases ...

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/28/black-friday-fever-police-battle-shoppers?commentpage=1   Bargain hunting turns violent as American phenomenon comes to UK     Raw greed    Another imported "Ponzi" from the United States, artificially created to extend even further, the "Christmas Shopping" frenzy and make more profits for the stores and manufactures. Over the past week, my e-mail has been inundated with "junk" mail from practically every know on line supplier, advertising "Black Friday" bargains and screaming their "buy now" messages. It is a sad and almost sinister phenomena in British society which now, after only two or three years vigorous promoting has firmly established “Black Friday”, as a regular November event. The photographs and video reports of the fighting in Asda, Tesco and numerous other stores around the country, the police and security staff separating hysterical "s...

  http://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2014/07/01/states-close-the-door-on-sunday-shopping-move/#comments A trial scheme which would have allowed large shops to open on Sundays has been rejected by the States. States close the door on Sunday shopping I have never been in favour of Sunday trading, not on any religious grounds, but simply because the idea just does not sit well with me. It seems that to have one day in the week where shops are closed (living on the mainland, I personally would have them all closed, supermarkets too) is a sensible proposition. There has been a gradual erosion of "trading free" days over the years, until now the only days when shops are closed is Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. Even then, it is possible to see the odd shop somewhere or other, still open for business. There are those who argue "freedom of choice" or "convenience" or some other cliche to justify round the clock trading seven days per week. H...

  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/19/chemicals-leaching-food-packaging-safety-bmj Chemicals used in the processing, packaging and storing of the food, could damage to our health Scientists warn of  long-term damage of exposure Science comes out to support what many of us have been shouting from the rooftops for years. The packaging on most foods is wasteful, excessive and un necessary. Moreover, the wrapping adds to the already high levels of additives, preservatives and chemicals in the food and is detrimental to our health! Science catches up with common knowledge. Better late than never.

  http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/29/cps-iceland-bins_n_4688853.html?utm_hp_ref=uk 'Iceland Three' Will Not Face Charges For Taking Food From Supermarket Bins Iceland Foods   Yesterday, the Crown Prosecution Service said that the prosecution would continue as there was "significant public interest in prosecuting these three individuals". Clearly the "significant public interest" lasted less than 24 hours, which probably results from "the public" criticism, outrage and ridicule of the stupidity of the CPS bringing these charges in the first place. Someone at the CPS obviously spent a great deal of time rummaging through old legislation to find an obscure section of the 1824 Vagrancy Act under which to propose a prosecution. They would have been better employed reading "How to obtain common sense and how to apply it to your decision making". Today Baljit Ubhey from the Crown Prosecution Service ...

  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/men-charged-with-stealing-food-from-iceland-supermarket-bins-9091967.html Men charged with stealing food from Iceland supermarket bins Contents of a bin outside a village shop in Sussex Put on trial, charged under the 1824 Vagrancy Act, for "stealing" £33 of food from waste bins behind a supermarket. The Crown Prosecution Service said that the prosecution would continue as there was "significant public interest in prosecuting these three individuals". Perhaps the CPS should be informed that there is "significant public interest" in prosecuting a number of bankers, who fiddle interest rates, embezzle £millions, grow fat and rich on their ill gotten bonuses and other "perks" and benefit from "Golden Handshakes" when exposed. The public can be excused for believing that in today's sick capitalist system, stealing £33 worth of food from the waste bins of a supermarket, is a...

  http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/09/morrisons-tesch-marks-spencer_n_4566246.html?utm_hp_ref=uk    Morrisons, Tesco, Marks & Spencer Sales Hit By Tough Christmas Who next? Following on from the "Years of plenty" when these supermarkets, particularly Tesco, were proudly announcing "record profits" running to £ Billions, I for one have little sympathy for the decline in their fortunes. It seems to me that the general downward trend in the high street and supermarkets fortunes has more to do with their previous profiteering and greed, forcing up prices at the expense of their customers and their suppliers. Now is the time for these companies to recognise that their prices are too high and have been for some time which is the predominant reason why people are now cutting back on their shopping expenditure. The supermarkets can join the rest of us and experience a dose of "austerity".

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/06/supermarket-frozen-chicken-breasts-water Supermarkets selling chicken that is nearly a fifth water   consumers are paying about 65p a kilo for water   This practice has been common knowledge for over thirty years. It is and has always been another tool for ripping off the consumer and making more profits for the producers and supermarkets. Forcing water into chicken products (along with a number of other dubious production methods) should have been banned years ago, but as usual in the food processing industry and the retail outlets, integrity will never be allowed to get in the way of making money.

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/03/fears-future-lamb-farming  Farmers say they are paid so little for their meat that many will be forced out of the industry. Traditional Sunday roast.  Despite the price drop, shoppers are still paying anything between £8 and £12 a kilo for the meat. The glaring disjunction has prompted farmers to warn that shoppers are being ripped off by what they call "the great lamb robbery". Who is making all the money? A 3lb leg of lamb in Morrisons is priced at £12.24 (£9.00 per kilo). Perhaps the supermarkets are ripping off their customers again, whilst at the same time screwing the producers into oblivion, again. The average weight of a whole lamb actually in the shop, would be in the region of 18.15 kilo (40 lb), so if the producer is now only receiving £3.20 per kilo instead of £4.40 last year, where is the other £5.80?

  http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/15/horse-meat-found-in-beef-burgers-ireland-uk_n_2481980.html?utm_hp_ref=uk Horse Meat In Beefburgers Blamed On European Suppliers horse meat found in beef burgers  Why all the fuss? Man has been eating horse meat in many countries all over the world for many years. Personally, I have never eaten it and would probably not choose to do so. However, it seems a bit hypocritical to jump up and down about eating horse, but have no qualms about eating cow or pig or deer. The only valid criticism would be that the labeling on the burgers or whatever, seems to have omitted the fact that the product contained horse meat. That is what should concern people most.