Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Ethnic food consumption boosted...by diaspora communities

I've always thought that the Lebanese diaspora should be the best market for exported Lebanese produce (I know the whole concept of long distance trade and export is very controversial and I have written about it elsewhere (Roots of inequality), but when there has to be trade, then trade should benefit the poor and the small holder). Export of Lebanese produce should target the diaspora, and the diaspora should require assurance that the produce they buy is fairly produced and fairly traded (good, clean and just). This only requires a small push: this report from the UK:
"A decision by supermarkets to stock eastern European food to cater for the UK's fast-growing Polish community has paid handsome rewards, with Tesco reporting Polish food to be the fastest-growing ethnic minority range it has ever launched.
Tesco, along with Sainsbury and Asda, introduced Polish foods last year to cater for Polish immigrants, who have been pouring into Britain since Poland joined the European Union in 2004. Official figures put the number of Polish immigrants at 350,000, although at least 600,000 are believed to be living in the UK."

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