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What are some food items that cost less than what they "should"? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Bananas are ridiculously cheap even up here in Canada, and they aren't grown anywhere near here. Yet a banana can grow, be harvested, be shipped, be stocked, and then be purchased by me for less than it'd cost to mail a letter across town. (Well, if I could buy a single banana maybe...or maybe that's not the best comparison, but I think you get my point)

Along the banana's journey, the farmer, the harvester, the shipper, the grocer, the clerk, and the cashier all (presumably) get paid. Yet a single banana is mere cents. If you didn't know any better, you might think a single banana should cost $10!

I'm presuming that this is because of some sort of exploitation somewhere down the line, or possibly loss-leading on the grocery store's side of things.

I'm wondering what other products like bananas are a lot cheaper than they "should" be (e.g., based on how far they have to travel, or how difficult they are to produce, or how much money we're saving "unethically").

I've heard that this applies to coffee and chocolate to varying extents, but I'm not certain.

Anyone know any others?

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Coffee and Chocolate for sure. Their prices rely really heavily on slavery or something so very near it you're splitting hairs by drawing a line.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

And even then, with chocolate, costs are rising. You can tell by how prevalent things like "chocolatey chips" are.

We've gotten too used to having cheap coffee and chocolate, and I'm disappointed with the substitutes...too bad I can't afford the ethical stuff quite yet, lol