|
By Matt Miller, Kitchen Lingo Books What does it mean to shop local when it comes to groceries? The whole idea of consciously supporting local businesses began with a battle cry, of sorts: "# — shop local!" A powerful call-to-arms telling us where to shop, pulled to the attention of the nation thanks to an unassuming number symbol that went by the name pound, up until it reinvented itself as social media sensation, hashtag. But as empowering as #shoplocal is when it comes to merchandise like clothing or books, when it comes to groceries does using it as a battle cry apply in the same way? Are foods shipped from around the globe and bought locally entitled to the same passion you have for your local farmers market? As far as battle cries go, #shoplocal is as powerful a statement as “CHARGE!” or “UURAH!” when you're excitedly approaching the swarming crowds of a farmers’ market, knowing that beyond the throng are stalls of fresh produce. But it loses some of its oomph when you approach the sliding doors of
your supermarket, doesn’t it? If you’re reading this newsletter, it is likely because you already belong to the Long Beach Grocery Co-Op. You probably prefer to shop at your local farmers market when you can, but like most people you supplement here-and-there with items from your local supermarket because you #shoplocal. But does that still count? On some level you suspect that it doesn’t, and that’s why you’re a co-op owner and want this co-op to become a reality sooner rather than later. So just to hammer home what you already know, here are some facts about how local you’re shopping when you’re shopping at your local supermarket. If you shop at Lazy Acres, then your money is going to South Korea. Lazy Acres is owned by Bristol Farms, which is owned by Good Foods Holdings, Inc., which is owned by PK Retail Holdings Inc., which is owned by Emart, South Korea’s largest retailer. Trader Joe’s? Everyone knows that the discount grocery store founded in Pasadena is now owned by discount generic grocery giant, Aldi, which is the largest privately held company in Germany. If you shop at Mother’s, then your money is going to Connecticut. The once independently owned organic grocery store that focused on natural products, founded by a bunch of yoga enthusiasts in the late 1970s, is actually owned by a private equity firm called Mill Road Capital. MRC is a conglomerate that also owns several companies including: Skull Candy headphones, Swiss Water Process (a company that removes caffeine from coffee without the use of chemicals, but is horrifically bad for the environment), and fast-food taco chain, Rubio’s. You might go to Ralph’s from time to time, and you know that Ralph’s is a large company owned by Kroger. But Kroger also owns a wide range of grocery stores around the country for both the well-off and those financially struggling including: Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foods Co, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, Jay C Food Store, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Metro Market, Pay-Less Super Markets, Pick’n Save, QFC, Ruler, and Smith’s Food & Drug. And not only that, while they have their own Kroger brand on the shelves, they also offer several other brands that are the same low-quality processed foods, produced by them but not branded with the Kroger name, making it difficult to make informed decisions in any of their many locations. If you shop at Vons, then you already know it’s owned by Albertsons, and that Albertsons also owns Safeway and Pavilions. Which means that if you’re shopping at any of the three, you’re getting the same products for different prices. And Albertsons, too, is guilty of offering products they produce under different brand names. Which is fine, but you have to do some research to know which brands those are, because they don’t tell you. Sometimes you want to save money, so from time to time you might go to Grocery Outlet (referred to by many as simply "Gross Out”). Gross Out is a discount grocery store that is a last stop for any product approaching its sell-by date on the shelves of warehouses across the US food distribution system. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to save money, but it’s important to know that the close-out catch-all grocer, "Gross Out," is owned by Hellman & Friedman LLC, a national private equity firm that also owns companies in the healthcare sector, insurance companies, energy and industrial sector, automotive, as well as commercial services including companies like Getty Images and the Nielsen Ratings Systems. They also make rather significant political campaign donations that are sure to enrage just about everyone for one reason or another. As a co-op owner, you likely already know most of this. You know that the Long Beach Grocery Co-Op isn’t a conglomerate, it’s us. We, the consumers of Long Beach. So, if you know someone who isn’t an owner yet, forward this newsletter to them. Explain why this is important and encourage them to get involved. If we don’t own our food system, then we’re at the mercy of the faceless conglomerates and billionaires who will. Maybe it’s time for a new battle cry. Maybe it’s time to change #shoplocal to something else more food driven, because having the power to choose our own food products, our own farmers, and at the same time reinvest in our community is the most impactful way to make a statement. Co-Op is the most powerful battle cry we’ve got. No # needed.
|
