| Local Purchasing |
Article Index for Local |
Website Links For Local |
Information AboutLocal Purchasing |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT LOCAL PURCHASING | |
| alternative economy | |
| consumer behaviour | |
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Historically, there have so many incentives to buy locally that no one had to make any kind of point to do so, but with current market conditions, it is often cheaper to buy distantly produced goods, despite the added costs in terms of Packaging , Transport , Inspection , Retail facilities, etc.. As such, one must now often take explicit action if one wants to purchase locally produced goods. Advocates often suggest local purchasing as a form of Moral Purchasing . Local purchasing is often claimed to be better for the Earth and better for working conditions. The first potential moral benefit is environmental: Brining goods from afar generally requires using more energy than transporting goods locally, and some environmental advocates (for instance, Amory Lovins ) see this as a serious environmental threat. Of course, locally produced goods are not ''always'' more energy-efficient; sometimes local Agriculture or Manufacturing may rely on energy-efficient machinery. The second moral benefit may be in terms of working conditions; local producers are sometimes seen as less exploitative of their workers. Of course, this is not necessarily the case either, and it can be important to check the practices of a particular producer. On the national level, the equivalent of local purchasing is Import Substitution , the deliberate Industrial Policy or Agricultural Policy of replacing goods or services produced on the far side of a national Border with those produced on the near side, i.e. in the same country or Trade Bloc . SEE ALSO A great resource for the Buy Local, Farm Product, and other 'Alternative Market" food, activism, news, important events, etc. and items is LocalHarvest http://www.localharvest.org/. A community oriented, sustainable agriculture, user supported site, that features everything from seeds, beeswax, produce, recipes, and much more. |
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