Our current economy is pretty awful and it often feels like the state or federal government isn’t helping very much. Given this, I think it’s important for us citizens, to think beyond the box of subsidies and tax cuts. Forget all the mumbo-jumbo you hear on the news or read in the paper. Think about this simple idea:

If you buy locally grown food or products, you encourage growth in the local economy, which in turn will create jobs and lower costs.

Now of course there is complicated economic talk that could emerge from my suggestion. But if you think about it, we have the power to improve our economy. Whatever income we have – large or small – we can find ways of supporting local companies, farmers, restaurants and other industries. Consider this:

A study done two years ago found that a 20% shift of retail food spending in Detroit redirected to locally grown foods would create 5,000 jobs and increase local output by half a billion dollars. A similar shift to Detroit-grown food by those living in the five surrounding counties would create 35,000 jobs – far more than ever will come out of the multibillion-dollar bailout of the auto industry.  (See source.)

When we think about the local food movement or even “locavorism,” there’s far more to the idea than farmer’s markets and exotic heirloom vegetables. Yes, the local food movement has been criticized for being elitist but it does not have to be. Because the cost of goods in our world is determined by the market, we must realize that we are the market. What we decide to buy on a daily basis has a huge effect on larger, harder-to-see shifts in the global and national economy.

I do not think it’s wise to trust the global economy, let alone our national one. (Here’s my closet-libertarian coming out!) If we grow our own food or support local farmers; if we make our own goods or support local stores and restaurants; and if we participate in local governing bodies, we have the potential to change society – our society – for the better.

Related posts:

1. The Urban Farming Revolution
2. Wal-Mart, a blessing and a curse for local food
3. Local Food Movement Gains Serious Support
4. Why the Non-Profit Model Does Not Work (a rant)
5. USDA Destroys Local Economies

Tags: Food Politics, local food movement