Supporting our local economy is beneficial to our planet’s well-being globally. But it also has a positive impact on our local marketplace, as long as we get involved that is. To define our own scene and make the services and products we want readily available, we need to be buy local to empower communities.

Outgrowing Global Demand.

We all have experienced the effects of a disruption in supply chain at one point or another. Low readily available inventories and long wait times before finally having access to essential goods. Those last few years were no exception. We were faced with a higher than normal production demand. Individuals were seeking an outflow to a routine challenged by the global pandemic. All while a shortage of raw materials and manpower in manufacturing countries left consumers all over the world stranded with frustration.

Such situations should make us realize the very issue we are dealing with : by persistently buying products factory-made halfway across the globe, not only are we contributing to a hyperactive consumer society, we are greatly impacting our planet’s health.

Beyond The Purchase.

Mass production is not sustainable. In Understanding The Journey of Things we fly over a process that requires an unsustainable amount of energy and resources to operate with associated emission of greenhouse gases. Once production is complete, the items still have a long way to go in order to reach the consumer. Packing, labeling, handling, shipping, storing, dispatching are just some of the steps involved in getting the goods to reach their destination. Final destination ? No. Because getting into the household of the buyer is only part of the product’s life as it will eventually be disposed of/discarded when it is no longer needed. And then starts the afterlife, which opens a whole new chapter.

But what if we were able to trim some of the steps involved in getting the desired articles to our doorstep ?

Exploring Local Resources.

Chances are, what you are looking for is available right here right now. Not coming from overseas, not in back order, but all ready-for-pick-up in your neighborhood.

Now, it may not be the exact model you had in mind in the first place. But being able to come home with it in your hands, today, certainly is worth the compromise. And it might very well be an even better version of the item you wanted. To buy local is to make a choice. A powerful choice. We need to understand and support the concept of buying local to empower communities, to lead them towards success.

Empowering Our Communities.

Where factory oriented markets aim to provide quantity in order to meet global demand, local artisans are focusing on the quality and value of their merchandise. They want their products to be appreciated and the customer to come back and generate referrals.

Our communities are built on networks where communication is key. Giving small businesses a chance to grow and thrive is giving ourselves a voice to express what we want to see on the market today and tomorrow. It is giving us a way to increase diversity in local services and goods, readily available anytime we need.

Locally Grown.

And this is just as true for products as it is for produce. For your grocery needs, forage through local inventories whenever feasible. Develop relationships with the farmers in your area. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and get to know our local farmers. You will find a galore of options, right here, in Nova Scotia. Buy shares of their harvest so you can have prime access to quality fresh goods while supporting local agriculture and helping it grow towards a sustainable future.

A vast majority of produce available in your grocery store comes imported from other countries. But being able to source your food locally means that you have some control over the quality of the product. Buying local gives us a say in the way the crop was grown. And also in the choices made available to us. Not to forget the colossal environmental component of not having to import the said produce.

Acknowledging our Need for Diversity.

Having the option to access some off-season food items all year long is a luxury and should not be dismissed. It is indubitably a tremendous convenience to have an array of great options coming from overseas. We do need to see a variety of food items that cannot be duplicated here in our Northern Hemisphere. Diversity is necessary. And products should be made available for our many cultures living within our communities, for it is crucial to open our mind to new flavors and recipes.

But buying local should be where we start. It gives our farmers a stronger voice and sturdier future to build on. It also gives us a sense of security. The ability to rest on our local economy for readily access to staple products. Not having to depend entirely on global availability to have our kitchens function properly.

The Eco Component.

Small actions have huge impacts. Our small actions will make a difference.

By reducing importations on items that are obtainable here, it is a whole process that is affected. A lower demand to the global factories will decrease power use at source and waste production from the manufactured articles. Less items to ship means lowering carbon gas emissions and reducing packaging and handling requirements. Less products to store translates into lower warehouse needs.

So skip the monster energy consumption involved in imported goods and explore local. Improve the quality of your pantry by sourcing local food supplies whenever possible. Discover what is being made right next door within your community. Visit your local farmers’ market, right here in Dartmouth or wherever you might be. Embrace the handmade and handcrafted inventories as you browse through an array of shops and artisans near you. Value what you do decide to buy. Appreciate the uniqueness of custom pieces and pride your ability to integrate them into your everyday to create your very own style. Make a statement, for you and our planet.