Price, quality, origin: which factors influence whether you buy imported products?
By importing certain products, consumers in rich countries contribute to deforestation in tropical regions. Is it possible to consume while still respecting the environment? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
From the article How consumers in rich countries drive global deforestation
Would love to buy Swiss honey, but a similar taste comes at half the price from where ever it may be.
first always quality and price. if made in China or other Asian countries I absolutely renounce.
zuerst immer Qualität und Preis. wenn Made in China oder andere asiatische Länder verzichte ich unbedingt.
What determines my choice is dependent on the quality foremost if it means it is more expensive then I am determined to save up. In the long term quality products lasts longer therefore you save money. Instilled in me if you cannot afford the item save up or do without until you can afford it.The message is live within your means and save for a rainy day!
I am appalled at the carbon footprint of imported goods especially from China of course UK companies or businesses are to blame for buying products cheaply manufactured in countries such as China only now to worsen as due to Brexit trade deals are now sealed with Australia the other side of the planet.What is shocking is the UK used to be a pioneer of quality manufactured goods and of course we still are in some domains.Politically I also try to boycott goods from countries with appalling human rights such as China but it is made so difficult when buying products to determine where they are actually manufactured .
Don't blame China. Look at who are creating this demand for cheap cheap cheap goods.
It is not a blame game.The facts and reality is that China is producing cheap products and all of us are to blame and actually seem to have no option for buying such goods everything is made in China just look at the small print .Problem is down to business and companies buying such cheaply made goods not just from China et al as persons all want to live in a “ bargain basement society “ with no care for persons being used for slave labour or work under appalling conditions .
My first approach is to never buy any BIO product. I am allergic to them
I try to buy as much as possible products from the country where I live. In Italy, apples from South Africa are offered, which almost hurts when you consider how many varieties of fruit grow here. I don't need asparagus from Peru or Mexico in January either, I can wait until they offer their own here, etc.
Ich versuche so viel wie möglich Produke aus dem Land wo ich lebe zu kaufen. In Italien werden Aepfel aus Südafrika angeboten, das tut schon fast weh wenn man bedenkt wie viele Obstsorten hier wachsen. Ich brauche auch keine Spargeln im Januar aus Peru oder Mexiko, ich kann warten bis hier die eigenen angeboten werden usw.
Is this even a question? Price wins evey time, because you can only buy what you can.
So, if I have 3000 for a car I will buy a second hand VW. Nobody will give me the latest Tesla for my 3000 CHF. Quality and origin means little to nothing. You only buy what you afford.
Maybe origin and quality are an issue for the ultra-rich, but us normal people have at most 1-2 choices in a price range that are probably of the same origin and quality, which defines the price.
Agreed. The debate is fake. You cannot buy something you do not have money for, so price is the only thing.
True. Choice is only for RICH people.
Price, some Swiss product are OK in price for example I buy milk at the farm, however most of them are very overpriced so I buy in supermarkets not bio not Swiss origin because when you see the label Swiss the price grows x2 or x3 for the same product packed in a metal can.
Quality, then price and if possible nothing from China and also little from USA preferably local.
Qualität, dann Preis und wenn möglich nichts aus China und auch wenig aus USA am liebsten Lokal.
Price determines the choice. The brand, country or anything else does not matter at all.
Price wins every time. We only buy what we can afford while still having a certain amount of savings.
Over the last year our costs with food almost trippled. The prices almost doubled and we buy more things as we are at home all the time. So, we cut down on buying clothes, paying for a gym and the public transport. We bought a large second hand car we share with two other families as we only use it for shopping.
So far the vast majority of the things we buy come from the EU as they are cheaper and a hand full from China. We almost never buy anything Swiss because it is too expensive for our salaries. We would rather save our money so we can send our children to a good university when they are older.
Any food, food product or drink that is "Made in Switzerland" should be sold for less money than imported goods. I'm sure it used to be like that, before the EU agreements. I buy all my essentials here, but clothes, glasses, sometimes furniture, I import as it's cheaper. Some medicines too, as I can't find what I need here, or cheap enough. But I don't check where it is made. It would take too long. I buy in bulk, quickly, as I hate shopping.
This is a rhetorical question. It certainly makes sense to buy fruit and vegetables of the season that are produced within a reasonable distance. However, our climate is simply not adequate for growing e.g. oranges, bananas or coffee beans. The deforestation in tropical regions is mainly due to greed, lack of government action and overpopulation. No reason to feel guilty when a sip my espresso...
NASA satellites observe the Earth's color, and for several decades they have seen the planet is getting greener. This is seldom reported in the media because it doesn't seem to fit the prevailing conversation. Those from rich countries who already cut down their forests can buy land elsewhere and manage it and/or plant it with trees. That will allow societies to continue working in a rational fashion and sequester CO2.
I try to pay attention to where things are made and not buy them if from outside of Switzerland or if in my homeland, not made outside of there.
I would like to see more comprehensive labelling that shows where each ingredient comes from and in which country a product, food is put together etc.,
As we will find out with electric vehicles, the batteries 'might' be the next big world problem - so we turn an eye in one direction to save the planet while behind the fence the world is burning.
I am not against electric vehicles but just using them as an example.
Keep responding to the global market...until there is nothing left. Way to go...
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