Comments on: Wal-Mart Goes Local – Should We be Scared?

By: Wal-Mart Commits to Locally Sourced Produce – Eat Drink Better

Wal-Mart Commits to Locally Sourced Produce – Eat Drink Better — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:01:07 +0000

[...] When Wal-Mart announces that they are committing to locally-sourced produce, what does that mean? According to their press release, Wal-Mart will double the amount of locally-sourced produce. That will bring the percentage of local produce sold in their stores to 9%. It seems rather low to begin with, but I suppose every bit counts. It’s especially low considering that this is not the first time Wal-Mart has gone local. [...]

By: John Burns

John Burns — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:27:12 +0000

If Walmart collectively folds what few local farms remain into their system – we get yet another version of Walmart dictating price and control over our local economies. Walmart will push local farms to produce more with less in order to drive the price down and monopolize local food distribution. Stick with your local farmers, obtain a better product at a reasonable price, and truly keep your dollars in your local economy. I recently visited a Walmart in New Orleans where they advertised Local Farms first and that they proudly purchased navel oranges from a local farm. After the manager showed me oranges from California, Texas, and another country he asked the produce manager to help with finding the citrus they claimed to buy. The produce manager told me she has never had Louisiana oranges in her store and ran away with the sign advertising the farm they claimed to buy from. Don’t believe it? I have a photo of the produce manager running away with the sign.

By: Mohamed

Mohamed — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:39:32 +0000

I liked your PMI thing. Its hard to tell because bottom line is they probably won’t care about families or kids or why people need to eat and consume better quality products with humane treatment for workers and environment.
If their making money collides with saving fuel for the environment that’s good thing.
I think i would wait and see where this goes but have to agree with the local farmer you interviewed.

By: Evz

Evz — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:07:11 +0000

*Less* evil is better than *more* evil, sure… but it won’t get me shopping there. I think it’s kinda cool, as a reflection of growing demand/ consumer awareness, regarding local food… but it’s not going to sway me into shopping at WM vs. buying directly from farmers. Why would I do that? If the farmer’s now selling to me AND Wal-mart, that’s cool, more money for him/ her… but why support the middleman vs the actual producer? There are some things that need mass production/ shipping; get those from big stores if you have to… but why reduce growers’ profits by buying from a resaler? Just pay the grower, I say.

It’s neat that WM is hot for this market share though; reflects an awareness that “the times they are a-changin’” regarding the food that people want… so that’s cool, by itself. (Still not shoppin’ there, though!)

By: Becky Striepe

Becky Striepe — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:14:30 +0000

I agree that this could be a great thing, if they do it right. I’ve got some issues with things like how they define local, though, and their track record with manhandling suppliers is pretty worrisome.

You’re right, companies do have to make some money to stay afloat. I guess it’s just a matter of how they do it. There are companies out there making a profit while genuinely working hard to do the right thing. Patagonia is a great example. It doesn’t have to be either-or, and I hope Wal-Mart proves my instincts wrong on this one for sure!

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:40:07 +0000

This is the greatest opportunity the world has ever seen.

If Walmart becomes truly Sustainably Green and influences all its suppliers to be truly Sustainably Green that will influence the world more than any of the organizations set up to do this!!!

We are entering a time where there are people who will dedicate their life just to watching Walmart.

All organizations need to become self supporting in order to be sustainable. Walmart needs to make a profit. We need to make sure that the way they make a profit is good for the world.