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In any conversation about food, let's be sure to consider the concerns of the farmworkers who are a huge part of getting that food on our plates. Local and organic growers often have better labor practices and relations, but this is still an issue to bring up. At the same time, we can't place all the burden on struggling farmers to raise wages or otherwise improve the lives of farmworkers, when we as eaters are unwilling or unable to pay more for our food. How can we ensure that everyone is able to have affordable access to the healthy, good food that we all deserve, while ensuring that all the people who grow, pick, transport, process, and sell that food can make a decent living?

Achieving this is my definition of a socially sustainable food system. There are some creative ideas and projects out there that are starting to move in this direction of getting out of the cheap food for consumers vs. income for producers paradox.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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There's the idea of the local multiplier effect, where "every dollar spent at a locally owned store contributes three times more to the local economy?three times more income, three times more jobs, and three times more tax benefits."
(http://www.bangormetro.com/media/Bangor-Metro/May-2006/The-Multiplier-Effect/)

Also check out Michael Shuman's work:
http://www.small-mart.org/about

I think there are a lot of different factors to consider in making purchasing decisions, and that imports and exports can be important economically and occasionally even preferable for environmental and/or social sustainability. However, I've been convinced that keeping more dollars circulating in our local economy is a valid and powerful concept and practice.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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