Why buy locally
made products?
the purchase of 'locally
made' products keeps jobs in the area and keeps companies answerable to their
regional community about issues such as fair employment and
pollution.
How to buy
locally or nationally made
There are three
main strategies for increasing a regions self-reliance and building a bigger
opportunity to buy locally made:
1. long term
planning such as:
- introducing
legislation that ensures that all products have labels
showing a). not just where the product is made but where the ingredients or
components are made b) if the company is wholly nationally owned. This
legislation took about 20years to introduce in Australia and has a huge impact
on people's choices as consumers and pride as producers.
- promoting
'nationally made' by government and chambers of
commerce.
2. shorter-term
action which can also lead to long term changes
includes:
- creating a
LETS system. LETS is local exchange/energy transfer
system. there are many of these systems thoughout the world. the
concept originated in Canada and the biggest systems have been in Australia
(which ironically has very sparsely wide-spread tiny population compared to
the USA). LETS actually has been wonderful for me because it has
increased my own production (i will produce something for LETs that i couldn't
be bothered making for dollars, such as lemon butter or herb products).
LETs is also a great network to meet like-minded people. i found my LETs
system in my telephone directory.
- seek
organisations that promote locally made products, they
provide lists for consumers. help support these groups by using the
information and promoting them.
3. increase our
own production and lowering imports into our
home:
- Making more ourselves and sharing more with family and
friends,
- cutting our own
expectations, buying recycled stuff such as clothes, furniture, cars, houses
etc.
- reasess our own
purchases, do we really need them? can we make it ourselves eg. instead of
buying processed foods can we make it ourself out of wholefoods and some stuff
grown at home (such as herbs and easy to grow salad
stuff).
April
Permaculture
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mailto:askpv AT ozemail.com.au
if for any reason you do not get through on our email
it is because we have been lately hit by repeated tidal waves of virus
letters that simply cram our mailbox, we are not enjoying life at a tropical
retreat - we are still enjoying life in Wollongong ! :> you can always
write in the stone-age fashion to 280 Cordeaux Rd., MT Kembla 2526
Australia
>Courtney, I used to feel the same way about buying
foreign stuff. It
>looks like there will soon be a time when we won't be
able to have
>anything at all if we only buy USA.
We won't be able to have anything at all if we buy
foreign
either, because all the jobs are leaving the USA. No jobs
=
no money to buy things.
Even if you're a CSA farmer - unemployed people are
not
going to be able to afford CSA
shares.
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