Supermarket-free Challenge

SUPERMARKET-FREE CHALLENGE

The campaign dedicated to agroecology, carried out by Oxfam-Magasins du Monde in 2024, invites the audience to think about a fair and sustainable way of cultivating.
“How about retaking control of our feeding?” is the slogan of the campaign.

USEFUL FOR
- Managers and volunteer trainers, organisations working with volunteers
- Volunteers and operators in the organisations

TYPE OF TOOL
Good Practice

MAIN FIELDS OF ACTION
Action on Economic Choices
Circular Economy
Ethical Purchases
Fair Trade
Green Actions
SDG Awareness
Social Economy
Sustainability
Taking Action
Zero-impact Services

RELATED SDG
12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

DESCRIPTION

The Supermarket-free Challenge is a challenge to survive one month (or less or more, can be adapted) without going to big supermarkets. It includes a “survival kit” to support people finding alternatives putting human conditions and environment first (rather than profit). The survival kit also provides the reader with useful background information (based on statistics) in order to understand the reasons behind the action and pass the word to others. The document can be shared online or printed.

 

Extra activity: a podcast has been made by the Oxfam-Magasins du Monde campaign research team that provides extra background information and interviews of people in the streets about their consumption habits (“Would you feel ready to take up the challenge of living one month without going to supermarkets?”). See links below.

Context: With agribusiness playing an increasingly important role (alongside with the intensive use of pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and fossil fuels), we have lost our food sovereignty. This situation has also caused a series of damage to our health, our soils, our climate, our biodiversity and our landscapes.

In the frame of this campaign, Oxfam-Magasins du Monde encouraged people to take up the “Supermarket-free February” challenge. This challenge was launched a few years ago. Some journalists from England and France were the first to try it out, then it spread a bit everywhere.

“The aim of the challenge remains unchanged: to encourage independent shops, rediscover local grocery stores, support small producers, promote bulk sales and local trade, repopulate markets and relearn how to buy only the essentials. The idea is to try out new consumer habits in February, and adopt them sustainably throughout the year. This challenge is also an opportunity to let the supermarkets know that we don't agree with over-packaging, food mileage that explodes the scores, the exploitation of people or pricing policies that crush small producers and kill local commerce.” (Source: https://envertetcontretout.ch/2023/01/31/fevrier-sans-supermarche-edition-2023-est-lancee)

For practical advice, Oxfam-Magasins du Monde has also shared a supermarket-free survival guide, to help people look for local initiatives that offer a different model of consumption and understand why this action is important. (Created by Oxfam-Magasin du Monde; CONSOMaction; je passe au vrac and collectif 5C)