[esoterica]

Autarkies are impoverished, societies that trade freely are wealthy. Your economic impulses are deeply misguided. If everyone only bought local the world would be much poorer. It’s better (consumer choice, comparative advantage) to buy from the world and to let the world buy from you. The money doesn’t disappear when you spend it outside your locality, it flows both ways.

[gen220]

I’m sorry, but by whose definition are “they” “impoverished”? And what constitutes “autarky” and “local”? I’m not advocating to abolish global trade or whatever, if you think I was gesturing in that direction.

Buying (food, especially) locally means supporting a robust food chain that’s less dependent on refrigeration, global shipping, and a geographic arbitrage on agricultural labor. It’s better for the environment and connects you to your community and sense of place and seasons.

It means I can know what went into the food, in terms of soil, labor, and pesticides — something that I have no knowledge of at the grocery store.

A pound of apples, meat, or whatever from 1-2 counties away is more financially expensive, but if you can afford it there’s many non-financial benefits.

I’d rather purchase from a CSA than a national grocer, because that money mostly goes back into my local community.

You’re right the money doesn’t disappear when you spend it outside your locality, but it comes back in ways that are increasingly exploitative and/or depressing (chain stores offering no meaningful careers or opportunities for ownership, rent-seeking financialization, warehouses that bring noise pollution and packaging waste, etc.).

Again, if you can afford it, IDK why you wouldn’t prefer to spend the marginal dollar locally (i.e. private / family-owned businesses in a few counties’ radius).

It’s consumer choice and comparative advantage that actually lead people like me to shop locally...