Multinational Companies Increasing Localwashing

As people are becoming aware of the impact of business practices on our local economy and resources, more and more are seeking out locally-owned businesses for the goods and services they need. We certainly expected national corporations (such as Hunt's, Frito-Lay and Pepsico) to jump on the local wagon, and attempt to leverage this turn in consumer thinking to their own benefit. But here's why their promotions are nothing more than localwashing. 

National, public companies are first and foremost obligated to shareholders to return a profit. This means that community and environmental values (such as paying a living wage, fair trade and responsible resource use) take a back seat to generating ever growing profits. And since most shareholders have no connection to what companies their 401(k) or mutual funds or bank accounts are being invested in, it becomes increasingly difficult to hold those companies accountable for corruption, slave wages or destruction of our resources.

In contrast, truly local businesses are owned by our neighbors. These businesses must also generate a profit for themselves, but the distance from owner to community is much shorter. How many Fortune 500 companies give you access to their owners or managers? Contrast this with having Scott (the owner) make your coffee at Hooked on Colfax. We have access to local business owners, and can learn about, question, and support their business practices. Scott and Malissa don't receive public funding or have huge lines of credit from banks. They depend upon each customer, every day, for the revenue they need for their business to thrive. We then have more power as a community to demand products and services that are safer and of higher quality, as well as reward business practices that are more responsible to our resources and other people.

Secondly, national companies must operate at huge volumes in order to effectively produce their products. This large scale production has several weaknesses. If you've ever been to my hometown, you can see the impact of corporate agribusiness on small farmers and ranchers. As corporations merge and take over smaller companies, they demand larger inputs of resources to then produce their goods. What was once a collection of small cattle ranchers and farmers has now become a city entirely dependent upon one beef packing facility and the three huge feedlots that supply them. These feedlots force hundreds of cattle into smaller and smaller spaces, where they live in their own filth and disease. More medication is required to keep the cattle alive until slaughter, which is then done by underpaid (and often undocumented) workers. These conditions mean lower quality beef and a food system that is more susceptible to serious problems such as e coli contamination. All to serve the volume demands of huge companies.

Compare this to local scale production. Instead of one farmer with 100,000 acres (who then must use petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides, as well as large farm implements that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars), we could have 1,000 farmers with 100 acres - who then have the ability to use less water and fewer chemicals to grow productive crops. Smaller farms require more labor - and with the highest unemployment rates in 25 years, we have plenty of people looking for work. These farmers can then supply local markets, shortening the supply chain from farm to table. More people are employed, more food is produced, less water, fewer chemicals and oil are then used to provide what is surely a most basic necessity. Colorado currently grows less than 1% of the food our population demands. Want to stimulate the local economy and create new jobs? Then provide education for a new generation of farmers, and stop subsidizing agribusiness. Give incentives for farmers who save water and don't pollute the soil, air and water table. Change zoning to allow more neighbors to grow and sell their own food. 

These companies are not changing their business practices to be more responsible or to waste less. They are simply spending their marketing budgets to co-opt the concerns and values of people. Let's not be fooled. Seek out business owners who are part of our community and use the power of your dollar to vote for better business practices.

If you want to connect with truly local food and other truly local businesses, we've done some of the work to find them.

Colorado Local First - our online directory of Colorado-based businesses. Each business profile includes a Five-Mountain Localness Rating, as well as badges for which businesses use green energy or pay a livable wage.

Local Flavor Guides - now available for six Denver neighborhoods, these printed maps show you just the locally owned restaurants, shops and other retailers who make our community unique.

Grow Local Colorado - a project to establish 2009 new food gardens in Colorado this year, the Grow Local Colorado web site also allows neighbors to share resources, post events and offer up space for others to garden.

And back to local food - now's a good time to join a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and enjoy fresh, local food grown by neighbors in our own region. Here are a few I can recommend:

Grant Family Farms - offers single, small or full shares of local veggies, fruits, flowers, meats and eggs. The full CSA season is 26 weeks, from June 15 to December 5
Miller Farms - a 20-week CSA with full or half shares. You can even pick up your weekly share from one of the 40+ farmers markets that Miller's Farms participates in around the State
Osage Gardens - Summer CSA share of 14 weeks with pick ups at the farm in Castle Rock. Small and large shares available.