Dear Reader,
Everyone who loves good food knows that the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference. That’s why, about seven years ago, a dream of mine came true when the first organic supermarket opened near my Munich apartment. Instead of the shriveled apples and poor selection of products offered at small organic shops, where saleswomen wore Birkenstocks, at the new shop I relished the stylish way the products were presented as well as the wonderful variety of fruit and vegetables–as gorgeous as anything sold at the Viktualienmarkt. All organic, all subject to the strictest quality control and a lot of fair-trade products. The prices were higher than at normal supermarkets, but knowing that this kind of economy is good for us and the environment, it was easy for me to change my ways, which meant: less meat, more vegetables, less waste as a result of less packaging and less driving around to get everything I needed. I was slightly worried when the company went on to open one shop after another in the following years, but I thought that was their way of keeping prices from rising and supporting producers, by increasing both supply and demand. This kind of organic supermarket led to a lot of people being converted and, I must admit, I felt good knowing that I was supporting fair trade and traditional, nonindustrial agriculture and that I ate eggs that came from happy chickens, and drank milk from happy cows. Now this dream is over. Reality is back. The Basic Bio chain has succumbed to its thirst for growth–“a new supermarket every two weeks” was their motto, therefore they needed capital. This they have found in their ideological opposite: cheap discounters that not only exploit their employees, but also virtually force their suppliers to accept dumping prices. What’s more, they sell tasteless, industrially produced groceries from countries where pesticides and fertilizers are regarded as beneficial. Sustainability is gone, and so is the feeling that I did something good by spending my money at Basic. After having been a loyal customer from the time the store first opened its doors, I will now have to look for a new place to shop. And I know I’m not alone. What a pity.
