ProsackHenry-Buy+Local

=BUY LOCAL by Henry Prosack=



Currently, we are in a severe economic situation that has affected us all one way or another. However, we always tend to look for solutions from a national standpoint. We search for the big changes that will possibly turn the economy around, yet these changes could either be beneficial or detrimental. This is why there is so much opposition to these proposed solutions. There is one solution that most people don’t think of that could be easily obtained; buy local. This is a solution that everyone in a community can contribute to that will benefit the region’s economy and benefit the environment overall.

What is buy local? Instead of going to a grocery chain to buy your weekly groceries, you could go to your local farmer’s market. If you have to buy any other product, by looking for local businesses that sell them and going there instead of a large corporation is achieving the goal of buy local. As I have stated, the buy local initiative promotes a more sustainable community by creating a better local economy and a more environmental friendly system. The physical and social distance from producer to consumer is reduced, so the trust between these two groups can strengthen. If a consumer has trust in their local producers, they will have trust in their dollar. When a consumer has this faith in their monetary expenses, they will spend more, bringing the economy back up onto its feet. As a capitalist society, we must understand that this kind of trust needs to be formulated, and one way of doing that is buying local.

The buy local movement began in the 1990’s, where a few organizations sprung up here and there across the country to focus on their small communities. However, the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture pioneered the movement and really made it a pressing issue when it was formed in 1999. They mainly focused on rural farmers that needed financial help against bigger corporations who imported products from around the country and world. What made the movement noticeable in the public’s eye was the organization’s Local Hero logo. They encouraged that every American could be a hero in their own community by supporting locally owned businesses, and that their contributions would make a difference. Once the CISA was born, hundreds across the country formulated pertaining to their regions. Most cities have an organization that promotes buying local. We must research the own areas that we live in and help out our individual communities.

The buy local initiative significantly benefits the region’s economy. The money that is used to buy products from a locally owned business will stay within the community 3 times more likely if one was to spend money at a large corporation according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Friends of Midcoast Maine. They conducted a study tracking eight different locally owned businesses and found that they spent 44.6% of their money within a few counties of their store. Compared to larger chain stores, they spent 14.1% within a few counties of their retail outlets. We can conclude that by buying products from your local businesses rather than a large corporate chain, the greater the chance that the money you spend will support your community. If every community did this, we would be self-sustaining. This will strengthen the region’s economy significantly.

Another reason why we as consumers should support our local businesses more versus spending our money at large chains is that local businesses create jobs where large chains decrease the amount of jobs in the region. There are several studies that prove the previous statement to be a fact. A study conducted by David Neumark, Junfu Zhang, and Stephen Ciccarella, from the Public Policy Institute of California, focused on the economical effects on a community when a Walmart was built in the county. They concluded that a total of 180 retail employment jobs were lost. Walmart generally supplies 360 jobs to the county. However, the chain forces local businesses to downsize or even close. Ever since Walmart moved into the county, a total of $2.5 million was lost in retail worker’s payroll. This is a severe decrease in one’s pay and it is directly related to the large corporation’s dominance over the local community. What most people do not realize, is what a large corporation claims to achieve is far from the truth. Another study conducted by Emek Basker at the University of Missouri showed that Walmart only provided 100 jobs within the first year, compared to the 200-300 jobs they state that they provide. This study was conducted between the year 1977 and 1998. The trends stayed the same. Over the next five years a total of 40-60 retails jobs and an additional 20 local wholesale jobs are lost. This has a severe impact on local businesses in the community.

Walmart is only an example of the companies that put an economical strain on local businesses. Large hardware store chains also contribute to the detrimental effect. Small hardware stores nearby a Home Depot or Lowes suffer significantly in sales. These big chains suffocate the market for the locally owned businesses to make a small profit. The revenues of these businesses become lower than normal and drop, leaving the owners to decide to cut down on staff or prices. In 1995, superstores such as these and Walmart, cost locally owned businesses $12 million a year. In a ten year period, 7,326 Iowa businesses closed, including grocery, apparel, and hardware stores. This study was conducted by Kenneth Stone of Iowa State University. A lot of these communities, after a few years after these superstores were established, there was a reported lower retail activity before these large chains were put in place.

However, by buying local, a resident will help facilitate a better regional economy by supporting jobs. It actually creates jobs by contributing to this movement instead of taking them away by supporting large company chains. When evaluating yourself as a consumer, do you want to be responsible for decreasing the amount of jobs and the payrolls of your fellow neighbors? Do you want to have your local businesses downsize and close? In 2005, Walmart alone decreased the retail worker’s earnings by 4.7 billion in the United States. We must see the big picture; put our tax dollars to good use. Local businesses will contribute more to public services more than a large corporation store ever could. For the sake from an economical standpoint, buy local.



Works Cited Allen, Patricia, and Claire Hinrichs. "Buying into 'Buy Local': Engagements of United States Local Food Initiatives." //Alternative Food Geographies: Representation and Practice//. 255-70. //Google Books//. Emerald Group Publishing. Web. .

// Big-Box Economic Impact Studies //. Rep. New Rules Project. Web. .

"Buy Local - FoodRoutes." //FoodRoutes - Where Does Your Food Come From?// Web. .

// Buy Local: Home //. Web. .

"Buy Local, Local Food Is Sustainable - The Issues - Sustainable Table." Web. .

"LocalHarvest - Why Buy Local." //Local Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food//. Web. .

"Why Buy Locally Owned? ? Sustainable Connections." //Local Businesses Taking Action for a Healthy Community ? Sustainable Connections//. Web. .