cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/70351765

Cross posted from https://lemmy.zip/post/70351759

America’s biggest berry empire doesn’t actually grow berries.

Driscoll’s is the middleman that controls the genetics, reaps the profits, and then shifts blame.

A whistleblower alleges the Canadian government repeatedly flagged their berries for exceeding pesticide limits.

I think this is the organization mentioned in the video:

https://causenow.org/

  • castle88@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    12 hours ago

    I found this video interesting, and the farmer talking about how hard it is to get their berries into stores because why would the store deal with a bunch of farmers when they can deal with one company. So the issue isn’t just merging of all berries under one company but the merge of grocery stores under a handful of companies.

    • snoons@lemmy.caOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      11 hours ago

      Indeed. I consider myself lucky that I live in a large city that has plenty of smaller grocery stores that are more focused on organic/natural/ethical produce. Some places only have Superstore or Walmart and I can’t help but think that someone took the JoJo mart route in Stardew Valley and I die a little inside.

  • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    42
    ·
    1 day ago

    Get Driscolls if you want fruit that tastes like tap water.

    In general, buy local, in-season fruit where you can.

    • GrackleBirb@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      1 day ago

      Not tap water. Sewage and runoff water. These berries face recalls in the US all the time. Diarrheaberry smoothie anyone?

    • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      17 hours ago

      but you can see in the video, which apparently no one watched, that Driscoll’s organic ranked better than local by some preferences.

      This is all because people expect fresh berries year around.

      • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        17 hours ago

        I didn’t rule out people liking water-tasting berries…

        I did watch, the experiment was Driscoll v Driscoll v Driscoll v other brand, not a very scientific one. Since it’s all contractors you hardly know from the box, which farm it is coming from anyway. In my personal experience, the best tasting berries I’ve had are from Europe while I was visiting.

  • JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    29
    ·
    1 day ago

    Their fruit really sucks. I refuse to buy it. Getting fresh blueberries from the farms this summer was the tits.

  • YurkshireLad@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    20
    ·
    1 day ago

    Their strawberries are awful. Rock solid, not always fully ripe and red and with zero flavour. We stopped buying them.

      • snoons@lemmy.caOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        11 hours ago

        Which would be great if they weren’t so focused on profit over everything (capitalism, amiright) and actually provided a good service. Instead it’s coin toss between getting toxic, flavourless crap or an edible berry that won’t give you ass cancer.