Supermarket standardisation has been a driving force in the elimination of traditional varieties of animal, fruit and vegetable produce. The environmental as well as the economic costs of this trend are enormous. While we continue to import garlic, asparagus and a host of other vegetables, the government pay farmers to set-aside their land. Food processing increases the number of links in the chain between the producer and the consumer and each link adds 'food miles' and extra environmental cost. Instead of bacon from locally reared pigs which has been cured locally, shoppers today are offered imported Danish bacon which has been cured in one part of Britain before being transported to another part to be sliced and packed.
Produce is distributed largely from a few centralised and lorry-serviced distribution centres.
The chains have long supported increases in the permitted size of lorries, leading to more juggernaut vehicles on the road and pressure for bigger roads to take them. The use of fertilisers and pesticides add a further environmental cost to food production, especially in countries where their use is not tightly controlled. Most other goods on sale in the superstores, from clothing to DIY, clock up massive amounts of environmental damage in their production, use and disposal. The increasingly long distances between producer and final consumer have increased the amount of packaging used as well as, in the case of foodstuffs, the use of chemical preservatives and energy-intensive refrigeration. Supermarket chains have opposed consistently measures to reduce packaging and increase the use of returnable containers.