Vote green every time you spend

Make a difference by practicing Ethical Consumption

Most of us strive to get the best deal when we shop, and usually price is the way we measure a deal.  But often, the cheapest isn’t the best deal, because it comes with hidden costs like toxic ingredients, unfair labour practices or environmental degradation.

Every time we choose to buy (or not to buy) something, we’re giving a thumbs up (or thumbs down) to a vendor and manufacturer.  You could say we vote every time we open our wallets.

You can make a difference by practicing Ethical Consumption.  That means, where possible, consciously looking beyond just a price tag and choosing products that are healthy, local, environmentally-friendly or fair trade.  You might think you don’t have a huge influence, but you do: just as at election time, every vote counts and enough votes can generate huge changes.

Good news: StatsCan indicates Ethical Consumption is on the rise in Canada.

Tired of carrots and cabbage?

Fresh local produce will soon be hitting the farmers markets and grocery stores.  When you buy local, you’re doing a good thing for many reasons:

1.  You’re supporting neighbours and your local economy instead of anonymous, faraway suppliers.

2.  You’re helping build local food production capacity because the more local food people buy, the more farmers will produce.

3.  You’ll know where your food comes from, and can have confidence in higher standards of quality and food safety.

4.  You’ll be doing the environment a favour, because long-distance food has a huge transportation carbon footprint.  One article I’ve read estimates that one third of trucks on the road today are carrying food.  The average item on a typical dinner plate has traveled more than most people travel on vacation!

So, if you’re getting tired of the limited array of local veggies available, take heart: local produce is on the horizon, and it’s a good choice all around!