Global Food Collaborative

Are you part of the go local movement?     You may not want to read this or write back your own ideas, but I'll gladly jump right in on why it doesn't ring my chimes.  

Let's face it; the world has a lot of problems these days.   Natural disaster, the poor getting poorer, wars, disease, economics, etc.      People feel a bit helpless, so this go local movement makes sense.   It is something you can get your arms around and impact.  

• You can buy locally produced food and support your local fisherman or farmer. 
• You can shop your local farmers market and eat fresher (generally healthier) foods.
• You can generally support your local economy and make sure your friends, family and community are a bit stronger for it.

From my point of view, however, go local is way too ambiguous for me.    It simply doesn't connect with me.   It never has.    Why not?   Here are just a few reasons.  

• Buying local generally means offsetting other ways people have traditionally bought food, beverage or bio products.     So who's jobs go and who's jobs stay?       Are we getting rid of a high paying, 100% private sector transportation and distribution job for a lower wage and subsidized or government supported initiative?  Don't forget the cashier, inventory manager, trucker and stocker.   Are they less important then the local fisherman and farmer?  
• Going local is exploited as safer/healthier foods.      What makes it so?   I get the part of fresher, often less handled/traveled and less processed.   GREAT.   I do not get the "free pass" on safe and healthy.     There have been plenty of recalls and outbreaks of disease on local foods and in this day and age, I don't take anything for granted.    My way around this is still to know EXACTLY who the farmer/fisherman with whom I'm doing business.
• Supporting your local economy and community to make it stronger?  Maybe, but I am still a strong believer in doing things well, being innovative, offering value, quality and making life easier and better for the customer.   This bothers me most about the go local movement.    Going local hardly ever addresses business sustainability.    I don't want to see a go local movement simply because it makes me or the community feel good.  I want to see it be successful, because it is sustainable.   I want to see good paying, year-round, smart jobs and industry.   Yes, I mentioned industry - another word not often connected to the go local movements.    Webster defines industry as "a distinct group of productive or profit-making enterprises".    In Alaska we have a food, beverage and agri-products industries with a large significance in jobs, capital investment, innovation and opportunity.  (Yes, I mean fishing and agriculture for those of you who haven't yet jumped on the food train.)  Industry does not have to be large, but it is something that can be tracked and for that to happen, it has to be sustainable. 
  

I want to see good paying, year-round, smart jobs and industry.   If that comes through the go local movement - great.  If it comes through manufacturing food, beverage and agri-products in a mega-processing plants in Alaska or any combination in between, I'm thrilled.     As I said, before and will say again.   I think the people in Alaska that harvest, grow, process and manufacture food, beverage and bio-products are the smartest Alaskans.      I treasure each and every one for the knowledge they bring to our region and what they share with others.       

Could we move from "go local" to "go smart jobs"?    

Example:  I rarely visit Facebook, but today there is an invite from Chef, Robert Kineen, of Orso's.   He's offering up a new recipe of a new local Alaska pork and urges those that are interested to visit the restaurant for the limited new fare.    Now this is something that connects with me.   A very successful restaurant business (sustainable), a very accomplished Chef (sustainable), featuring innovative recipes (sustainable) from a local and well-established farmer (sustainable).      Although this particular "special", may be limited - if successful - it will be sustained with more recipes, more products and a wider customer base.      Smart jobs - Smart Business!   Kudo's. 

Love to hear your feed-back.....