We're putting up the prices of some of our bags from April 2023. Our small veg bags will cost 6% more and our standard bags will cost 10% more. Here's a bit more explanation about why and how we're doing that.
Why are the prices going up?
This is our first price rise for three years. It will enable us to continue to pay our farmers what they need to farm sustainably and look after their workers, while also enabling Jo, who orders the fruit and veg for your bags, to make the bags more interesting and varied.
Costs rise constantly for farmers and growers. In the past year, they have risen even faster. For example, The Real London Living Wage (which we pay as a minimum) has increased by nearly 15% since 2020, and fuel prices have risen by more than 30% in that time. GC is absorbing some of the rising costs by cutting the markup on some bags. Most of our bags will stay frozen at 2020 prices.
Why are some prices going up and not others?
We’ve considered the price of each bag individually to ensure we can buy the best variety of produce and create a decent balanced bag throughout the year, while paying our suppliers a fair price (and not feeling pressure to compromise on that).
Why now?
We appreciate that this is a difficult time for many people as everyone’s outgoings are rising. But we need to pay farmers a fair price for the food they grow, and cover our increasing costs.
How does GC compare with other veg box schemes?
When you buy from us, you are directly supporting local small-scale organic farmers – we know who picked your veg and can show you which field it was grown in!
Larger veg schemes tend to import more out-of-season fruit and veg than we do and source produce from further away (see our buying policy). Last year, 86% of the vegetables sold through GC’s fruit and veg scheme was grown by UK farmers, along with 36% of the fruit. Defra figures show that across the UK as a whole, just 57% of veg and 15% of fruit eaten last year was grown on UK farms and orchards.
Non-organic box schemes are cheaper, because non-organic produce is cheaper to grow but uses farming methods that contribute to air and water pollution, loss of wildlife and climate change.
When you buy fruit and veg from GC, you aren't just supporting your own health and wellbeing. You are also building a fairer food system, generating an essential livelihood for local farmers and helping wildlife and the planet to flourish.