Where do you shop?

Let’s start with food: are you an organic food lover? (Actually, I don’t think it should be called “organic”, I think it should just be called “food”, then everything else that is modified, enhanced, cross-bred, sprayed or dyed could have its own unique label… but back to the question.) Do you specifically shop for organic food? Or do you seek out foods that are in season? What about distance: do you shop on your way to or from somewhere else or is grocery shopping more of an outing or experience for you? Are you a big-box store lover or do you prefer farmers’ markets?

As a foodie and someone who loves to cook and entertain, I love stores with more varieties of greens than I have vegetable drawers, a bakery that smells like cinnamon, a cheese counter an entire aisle long and anything caught wild. I could spend an entire afternoon at a local market, especially if the farmers, growers, producers or creators tend the booths. Same goes for clothes, jewellery or even home amenities. The closer I can get to the artisan, the happier I am.

That’s rarely possible as living in the city means most of what we buy is brought in from somewhere, and that somewhere can be anywhere from around the world. And city folks are about maximizing their time, so stores are set up so you can get in and out quickly and back on your way to being busy city bees.

But is what we are buying, how we are buying it, or where we are buying it from having more of an effect on the ecosystem than we recognize? What are we serving up with our routine shopping habits?

Aha! ~ “Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.” ~ Anna Lappe

The word “currency” comes from the Latin currens or condition of flowing; “that which is current as a medium of exchange money.” (1729) Currency is fluid – it moves to and away from us in trade for goods and services – so what and how we buy determines to where it flows.

Who else are you supporting when you invest in your nutrition, home comforts, electronics, wearables and furnishings? Are you building the world you want?

There has never been a better time to take