Last one! (Post #13)

When I think about the words “sustainable consumerism” I think that it might be somewhat of a contradicting pair of words. In this American society, and with globalization at the forefront of all continents shores, it is hard to think that any of us could really truly consume sustainably. Though I strongly agree that there are enormous benefits that accompany both capitalism and globalization, I feel more that they could be negative drivers for sustainable consumerism.

“Sustainable consumption asks us to consider issues that go beyond the individual when we shop. These include not only the ecological impacts of what we buy but also the equity, human rights and political dimensions of sustainability in the production and consumption process. These aspects of sustainable consumption provide guidelines on how to reduce the social and ecological impacts of what we consume.” (Definition of sustainable consumerism according to http://www.unesco.org.)

The term Greenwashing, after searching its definition up on google, hits home with me. I am a marketing major and this term “greenwashing” gives absolutely all the hard work of honest marketers and honest PR representatives, a negative image. I think about this term and how companies apply it to their food products, labling them as organic, local, or fair-trade. Local food tends to be cheaper (so yes I would be willing to buy it) but I would not really be willing to pay a premium for organic, money is everything to people these days and the cheaper the item the better.

Do I prefer mom and pop stores or the glorified chain stores in strip malls such as Gulf Coast Town Center I guess I would say I like a little of both! It’s nice to have choices. The ramifications? Well considering I did my final project on the difference between locally grown fruits and veggies as compared to conventionally grown (or internationally grown) I know that buying local produce from local farmers has some great benefits! When you buy directly from these markets, the farmers get to keep 80-90% of that dollar that you pay, you are also helping to support you local economy. You are also getting to know exactly where your food comes from and how it is grown.

"People who value local as their primary food criterion are sometimes referred to as locavores. The term "locavore" was coined by Jessica Prentice from the San Francisco Bay Area for World Environment Day 2005 to describe and promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 100 mile radius. With such excitement and momentum building in the local food movement, the New Oxford American Dictionary chose locavore as its word of the year in 2007." (sustainabletable.)