Social Supermarket accused of ‘greenwashing’, while service's CEO says its ‘making a difference’

Social Supermarkets are a food support service aimed at supporting those who are struggling with food security, allowing them to select groceries based on their needs.

And over the past three years, grocery retailer Foodstuffs have partnered with local community organisations to set up Social Supermarkets across the North Island, offering more variety than pre-packed parcels which may not meet people’s cultural and dietary requirements or preferences.

There are 11 across the North Island and with the last one opening in Ōtahuhu, South Auckland at the start of April.

But the approach has rubbed some people the wrong way.

Longtime anti-poverty campaigner from Māngere, Reverend Peter Sykes, said in a Facebook post that the service has “shades of greenwashing” and he joined Pacific Mornings to explain his disapproval.

“Greenwashing is where a company pretends or is seen to be doing good. In this case the supermarkets are offering a service, they’re saying, ‘how generous we are. We’re making food available [in social supermarkets]’.

“They’re not changing their marketing models, it’s not costing their shareholders anything.”

His strong views on Social Supermarkets is that it offers essentially the same service as food banks, koha shops, or community gardens, but the concept sways consumers to trust in companies’ messaging of good-will and caring for communities while profits are “soaring”.

The South Auckland branch is named Tatou, run with Māngere Budgeting Services Trust and chief executive Lara Dolan also spoke on Pacific Mornings to respond to some of the criticisms Reverend Sykes made.

“From my dealings with Foodstuffs, I’ve found everyone to be passionate about making a difference in the South Auckland community and as an organisation they’re genuinely committed to investing."

Access to the Social Supermarket is via referral through Māngere Budgeting Services Trust, people are then allocated points based on the size of their family to “buy” groceries.

For example, if the family is just two people they will be given 50 points, and if you have two adults with two children, you will get 75 points, which is around $300 worth of groceries.

However, Reverend Sykes says the referral process and point system “grades people on their level of poverty”.

“It’s like saying, ‘you’re the poor, you’re the very poor, or you’re the poorest of the poor and you’ve actually got nothing to contribute except you should learn how to budget better’."

An example of grocery selection with the Social Supermarket point system. Photo/Te Ao Māori News

He also mentions the food made available at Social Supermarkets is pre-selected and people don’t have full agency to healthy food options.

Dolan says while the service resembles a normal supermarket it is on a smaller scale offering a range of 750 products. Adding that the referral process includes people working with a financial mentor and encouraging financial literacy.

“They need to be able to want to help themselves and improve their financial situation. Our vision is to work alongside families, teach them how to budget, how to solve their debt. How to manage their finances better to support their aiga [and] themselves.”

South Auckland branch of Social Supermarket, Tatou, run with Māngere Budgeting Services. Taken at the opening on 6 April, 2024. Photo/Te Ao Māori News

It’s nearly been a month since the Social Supermarket opened and Dolan says people are benefiting from the freedom of choice.

“It’s definitely empowering to see that people can exercise their choice …the other day we had a shopper who selected to not have any vegetable or fresh produce because she has a vegetable garden at home."

Dolan continues the shopper opted for baking ingredients and had she used a traditional food bank service those items wouldn’t be included.

But the Reverend is skeptical of retailers’ intent for change and says if there were serious concerns about food prices, healthy food access, or food sovereignty there are other do-able solutions.

“What would happen if everybody on a community card got a 10 percent discount when they went to the supermarket?

“Just imagine Pacific media, church, or some community groups are having events. People commit themselves as volunteers … they get a voucher that says they’re entitled to discounts at the supermarkets.

“It’s access to food, it also builds mana, it’s reciprocal, it’s about public good.”

Chris Quin - Chief Executive of Foodstuffs North Island, Lara Dolan - Chief Executive of Mangere Budgeting Services and Jenny Salesa - MP for Panmure-Otahuhu at the opening of Tatou, South Auckland's first social supermarket. Photo/Supplied

Māngere-Ōtahuhu Local Board member Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich also weighed in on the conversation and while he agrees supermarket retailers could be doing more, he thinks the budgeting education and freedom of choice is mana-enhancing.

“I think that allows children to realise when you've got your own money and your own budget you've got to work within it and I think that's a great starting point in terms of educating young people.

“I think it's empowering, I mean, it's bad enough that people have to ask for stuff.”

A sentiment in which the Reverend Sykes is hoping to see more of.

“You’re not going to change people’s well-being unless you build their mana, unless you actually acknowledge that our families have got a lot of good and we build a network. Otherwise we just maintain dependency.

“The challenge for community organisations is not to rescue people but to work with them to grow their self-respect and their ability.”

Full interview with MBST CEO Lara Dolan below