Buy salad in a discounter or at the farmer?

introduction:

The food prices are very cheap in Germany, in the EU  Germany is on the tenth place.  Altogether the  level of prices was 1,8 percent above the average of 27 countries of the EU.  Amongst others you can buy lettuce already for 9 cent per piece.  So where do I get my salad from? 

nut graf:

Half of the salad sold in Germany is domestic, the other from abroad, for example Spain, Belgium, France and Italy. That means long transport distances and damage to the environment.  Regional companies often can´t keep up with the low prices of the discounters. 

A farmer  from Köngen, near Esslingen, called Karl Schumacher  is shocked when he looks in the leaflets of the  discounters. The forcing up of prices lead that the smaller companies are bust.  He says that the food is sold at a loss to attract the people into the discounters. The salads in the discounters are not the best products but the quality is anyway decent to good.  That is the reason, that  farmers like Karl Schumacher, which field is 65 hectares big bring in distress.  A lot of consumers don´t appreciate to pay 30 to 50 cent for lettuce, when they can buy it cheaper, for 8 or 9 cent in the discounters.  And also the discounter chain,  where Schumacher sells his products since years ask if he could lower the price.  Schumacher and the other farmers  can´t oppose the pressure, and they reduce the prices several times. Currently he sells the lettuce for 30 per cent, they have to sell the lettuce for 28 cent, only to cover expenses.  Just one salad plant costs 6 cents.  And to harvest 80 per cent, would be a high rate. In addition to that , there are cost for dung, boxes, transport and staff.  His wish is to have more support  from the politics. The forcing up of prices has to be an end, because they destroy the farmers existence . 

Discounters do not only sell head of lettuce but also even ready salad, nearly ready to consume.  This salads packaged in plastic bags contains distinct less vitamin C as fresh prepared salads.  The packaged salad is still laundered,  cut. But the consumers like the accommodativeness and the number of the selled ready salads is increasing.  But the question is, are these salads healthy?  One assay by the touch needle showed that 50 per cent of the tested salad was bacterially contaminated.  The ready salads lose one third of vitamin C compared to fresh salads. 

wrap up:

So everyone has to ask on herself, do I want do buy salad from the farmer or at the discounter?. Do I want to spend a little more money, to get more quality and to know where my salad comes from or am I comfortable and go to the next discounter and buy it for a cheap price.

personal  conclusion:

I have chosen this topic, because all people are confronted with this topic. Salad is one of the basic food, which everyone needs. In my opinion, we should buy salad from the farmer or grow salad oneself.  We have to support the regional farmers, that we can eat regional food and they don´t lose their existence. 

picture description:

You can see on the left side a ready packaged salad and on the right side a implanted salad. The two salads are cleary differentiated . Between the two salads there is a wodden panel, which should symbolise the clear decision somebody have to make. You have got only on banknote and you have to decide for what you want to spend it, the right or the left side. In the middle of the picture there are hands holding a 5 Euro banknote. The handy spreads to both sides. On the left side you can see a shadow, which should symbolize all difficulties with the discounters on the left side there are blades of grassy which should symbolize that is the „good“ side, the side, which support the regional companies who grow salads natural. 

From Mandy Richter