In 1985 Jeremy Seabrook pointed out how consumersism manufactures and diffuses a kind of ignorance which conceals the real nature of the products we buy. It appeals to wants not needs, and the emotional lift of satisfying wants, which are a luxury, dulls our demand for knowledge about how the great variety on supermaket shelves actually comes about.  In particular, it hides the deleterious impact of our shopping on distant ecosystems and families.