Dec 08, 2010
The signature phrase of America's booming good food movement has been expanded from "organic" to "local and sustainable."
Good! The phrase suggests great quality, strong environmental stewardship, and a commitment to keeping our food dollars in the local economy. If you support the local-economies movement, as I do, no doubt you'll be thrilled to hear that a new, local food store is coming soon to your neighborhood. In fact, it's even named Neighborhood Market.
Only, it's not. It's a Walmart. Yes, the $400-billion-a-year retail behemoth, with two million employees laboring in 8,500 stores spread around the globe, now is putting on a "local" mask. The giant is promising to buy nine percent of the produce it'll sell from local farmers. Big whoopie. This means that 91 percent of the foodstuffs offered in its "Neighborhood" chain will come from Wayawayland.
But even the nine percent number is a deceit, for Walmart says that it defines "local" as grown in the same state. Excuse me, but in California, Florida, Texas, and other such sizable states, that can be a mighty long truck haul away. Not exactly what us locals would call "local."
As for being sustainable, Walmart is bragging about a billion-dollar investment it'll make to shrink its environmental footprint a bit. That's a nice gesture. But come on, this outfit has humongous feet that bestride the whole world. Even a billion bucks won't shrink that footprint. Walmart neither made a commitment to organic production, nor did it rule out peddling genetically engineered Frankenfoods as part of its "sustainability" gimmick.
Who does Walmart think it's fooling? It's not coming to our neighborhoods to be local and sustainable, but to drive out our home-grown enterprises and extract profits from our own communities.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
This column was distributed by OtherWords.
The signature phrase of America's booming good food movement has been expanded from "organic" to "local and sustainable."
Good! The phrase suggests great quality, strong environmental stewardship, and a commitment to keeping our food dollars in the local economy. If you support the local-economies movement, as I do, no doubt you'll be thrilled to hear that a new, local food store is coming soon to your neighborhood. In fact, it's even named Neighborhood Market.
Only, it's not. It's a Walmart. Yes, the $400-billion-a-year retail behemoth, with two million employees laboring in 8,500 stores spread around the globe, now is putting on a "local" mask. The giant is promising to buy nine percent of the produce it'll sell from local farmers. Big whoopie. This means that 91 percent of the foodstuffs offered in its "Neighborhood" chain will come from Wayawayland.
But even the nine percent number is a deceit, for Walmart says that it defines "local" as grown in the same state. Excuse me, but in California, Florida, Texas, and other such sizable states, that can be a mighty long truck haul away. Not exactly what us locals would call "local."
As for being sustainable, Walmart is bragging about a billion-dollar investment it'll make to shrink its environmental footprint a bit. That's a nice gesture. But come on, this outfit has humongous feet that bestride the whole world. Even a billion bucks won't shrink that footprint. Walmart neither made a commitment to organic production, nor did it rule out peddling genetically engineered Frankenfoods as part of its "sustainability" gimmick.
Who does Walmart think it's fooling? It's not coming to our neighborhoods to be local and sustainable, but to drive out our home-grown enterprises and extract profits from our own communities.
The signature phrase of America's booming good food movement has been expanded from "organic" to "local and sustainable."
Good! The phrase suggests great quality, strong environmental stewardship, and a commitment to keeping our food dollars in the local economy. If you support the local-economies movement, as I do, no doubt you'll be thrilled to hear that a new, local food store is coming soon to your neighborhood. In fact, it's even named Neighborhood Market.
Only, it's not. It's a Walmart. Yes, the $400-billion-a-year retail behemoth, with two million employees laboring in 8,500 stores spread around the globe, now is putting on a "local" mask. The giant is promising to buy nine percent of the produce it'll sell from local farmers. Big whoopie. This means that 91 percent of the foodstuffs offered in its "Neighborhood" chain will come from Wayawayland.
But even the nine percent number is a deceit, for Walmart says that it defines "local" as grown in the same state. Excuse me, but in California, Florida, Texas, and other such sizable states, that can be a mighty long truck haul away. Not exactly what us locals would call "local."
As for being sustainable, Walmart is bragging about a billion-dollar investment it'll make to shrink its environmental footprint a bit. That's a nice gesture. But come on, this outfit has humongous feet that bestride the whole world. Even a billion bucks won't shrink that footprint. Walmart neither made a commitment to organic production, nor did it rule out peddling genetically engineered Frankenfoods as part of its "sustainability" gimmick.
Who does Walmart think it's fooling? It's not coming to our neighborhoods to be local and sustainable, but to drive out our home-grown enterprises and extract profits from our own communities.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.