The Chain Gang

Wal-Mart Moves Toward Locavorism

Aw, did some Wal-Mart exec watch Food, Inc.? Today’s Times story about the megachain might put a smile — but hopefully not that smile — on the face of local-food activists: The world’s largest grocer has decided to move towards locally sourcing their food. “Local,” to Wal-Mart, means “sourced within the same state,” and they’ll purportedly be using smaller farms, helping train farmers on smart water use, and spending $1 billion on improving sustainability in their perishable supply chain. One might scoff at the aims of a conglomerate, but the Times points out that the chain’s announcement of sustainability goals five years ago forced Proctor & Gamble to design greener packaging. That said, its worth keeping in mind that farmers typically still receive up to 90 percent of profits at the farmer’s market versus 10 percent of what they can sell at grocery stores, so don’t stop hitting the local market.

Wal-Mart to Buy More Local Produce [NYT]

Wal-Mart Moves Toward Locavorism