B2 – Upper Intermediate
Food is an ultimate essential for humans. Perhaps most of us do not pay so much attention to it, but agriculture and food production contribute a great deal to greenhouse emissions.
The German-French discount supermarket chain Penny wants their customers to pay extra for certain food items in order to cover for their true climate/environmental costs. This initiative from Penny also aims to make grocery shoppers aware of the impact of food production on the environment.
Read the article about Penny’s “True Cost” campaign.
https://www.dw.com/en/true-food-prices-germany-penny/a-66422126
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does ”greenwashing” mean? “Bernhard Krüsken, the general secretary of the German Farmers’ Association, called the campaign a “greenwashing project of a discount supermarket that otherwise has little interest in fair pricing.” Use this word in your own sentence.
- What does ”markedly” mean? “Almost all of the products that the German discount supermarket Penny is now selling at the “true cost” of their environmental impacts are markedly more expensive.” Give 2 synonyms and use “markedly” in your own sentence.
- What does “to be reflected in something” mean, “These impacts are not yet reflected in sales prices, but they cost our society money indirectly.”? Use this idiom in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What is your opinion on Penny’s campaign? Do you believe it is just greenwashing? Why or why not?
- How will this campaign affect Penny?
- Will this initiative really make consumers consider the environmental consequences of their purchases? Explain.
- What are some things you do as a consumer to minimize the impact of your purchases on the environment?
- “Germans paid only 11.1% of their household budget for food, less than people in the EU usually pay.” How much do you think a household in your country typically spends on food? Is it a very high or very low budget in your opinion?
2 replies on “Penny Supermarket Charges True Cost of Foods”
Discussion Questions:
1. What is your opinion on Penny’s campaign? Do you believe it is just greenwashing? Why or why not?
I think is great, like a marketing strategy, because we are now talking about this supermarket chain, that I didn’t know at all before of that. Of course, it’s a greenwashing campaign, but also is a kind of commitment of the company in the future to fight against the climate change.
2. How will this campaign affect Penny?
In overall terms, I think that in a positive way: 1. Are the first of their kind to create this controversy that is really necessary if we want to fight against climate change, 2. It is way to advertised his brand all over the world almost without spend an Euro (GREAT!), and 3. This campaign link the brand with the green companies.
3. Will this initiative really make consumers consider the environmental consequences of their purchases? Explain.
According to the article only were affected to 9 products, but I think is enough to achieve the goal of awaken our conscience.
4. What are some things you do as a consumer to minimize the impact of your purchases on the environment.
I try to avoid plastics, to buy ecological and healthy food and I prefer to spend a little more If I can buy a fair trade product.
5. “Germans paid only 11.1% of their household budget for food, less than people in the EU usually pay.” How much do you think a household in your country typically spends on food? Is it a very high or very low budget in your opinion?
I don’t know for sure, but I think more or less similar to them. I think the key question is to try to buy healthy products… and if you do so, you are going to spend more, the healthier is the product the more expensive is.
You did a very good job writing your answers to this lesson’s discussion questions.
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