Comments on: In search of the organic foods consumer http://jcarrot.org/on-holy-foods-eating-its-rivals/ Jews, Food, and Contemporary Issues Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:13:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Another Boy http://jcarrot.org/on-holy-foods-eating-its-rivals/#comment-298 Another Boy Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:32:51 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/on-holy-foods-eating-its-rivals/#comment-298 One clear measure of a tipping point is when minority tastes and interests acquire sufficient scale that mainstream retailers start to pay attention. The move towards health and sustainability is spreading in general in the world at the moment. One can see that the US is moving fast but is still, for instance, some way behind the UK - but what's happening in the UK represents what's in the earlier stages of happening here and in other parts of the West. Key recent indicators include: - the successes of SuperSize Me & Omnivore's Dilemma - the dictionary that named "Carbon Neutral" it's word of the year in 2006 (runner up: CSA) - WalMart's announcements about green power - Marks & Spencer's announcement that they were making all their stores carbon neutral - Tesco's announcement on carbon-labelling its food - the growth of the green lifestyle magazines - the further growth of greenmarkets etc. We're all on a learning curve right now. If people buy "organic" because they think it's better for the world - or their families - they're mostly right. If they start to buy local they're probably doing even more good. And ever act of consumption is a money-weighted vote; it encourages producers and distributors of that which you buy, and votes against that which you don't buy. Shabbat shalom.. in sunny HI. One clear measure of a tipping point is when minority tastes and interests acquire sufficient scale that mainstream retailers start to pay attention.

The move towards health and sustainability is spreading in general in the world at the moment. One can see that the US is moving fast but is still, for instance, some way behind the UK - but what’s happening in the UK represents what’s in the earlier stages of happening here and in other parts of the West.

Key recent indicators include:

- the successes of SuperSize Me & Omnivore’s Dilemma
- the dictionary that named “Carbon Neutral” it’s word of the year in 2006 (runner up: CSA)
- WalMart’s announcements about green power
- Marks & Spencer’s announcement that they were making all their stores carbon neutral
- Tesco’s announcement on carbon-labelling its food
- the growth of the green lifestyle magazines
- the further growth of greenmarkets etc.

We’re all on a learning curve right now.
If people buy “organic” because they think it’s better for the world - or their families - they’re mostly right.
If they start to buy local they’re probably doing even more good.
And ever act of consumption is a money-weighted vote; it encourages producers and distributors of that which you buy, and votes against that which you don’t buy.

Shabbat shalom.. in sunny HI.

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