Produce

As with almost any business issue, there are pros and cons to buying local produce. In some instances it may be more ethical to buy produce from South America than produce grown five blocks away. Some people argue that by purchasing local produce it takes away from helping people in third world countries make a living. One article even stated, “It ignores the rest of the world and focuses on what’s good in one’s backyard. This thinking, of course, ignores the fact that somebody else’s backyard might be more needy than our own. If the first goal of buying local produce is to help farmers in need, it would stand to reason that localvores should seek out the neediest farmers they can” (Tamarkin, 2008). It is a strong statement, however, it can also be argues that people have more than just one reason to purchase local produce. For instance, it is appealing to people that it is better or the environment to buy locally than to fly products to our country which utilizes fuel and other resources. Also, by purchases produce from South America, it most likely means there is no conflict of interest for the local supermarket buyer.

If a supermarket buyer is purchasing local produce, there could be a conflict of interest. There is potential for the buyer to know the local seller on more than just a professional level. For example, the local seller could be a friend or family member who owns a local farm. Even though the supermarket buyer could potentially handle the situation properly, it may be difficult. In addition, it may also be perceived poorly by other employees, as well as other local sellers. The relationship could put the supermarket in a very compromising position.

This is an interesting discussion because many consumers feel very strongly about the need to buy local produce. However, they may not realize some of the ethical challenges businesses face in order to possibly implement, meet and maintain this demand.

REFERENCES

Tamarkin,D. (2008,...