Diversity is expressed in Nature through a constant effort of adaptation, organic competition, and the success of biological reproduction. With few exceptions, fauna and flora of every species have multiplied their footprint regionally; some have traversed oceans. From spiders to Juniper trees, viruses, and every imaginable seed, Nature has a way, and an obligation, to germinate and expand. The effect is biodiversity, which has proven to greatly increase survivability, resilience, and stability through complexity.
One of the most harmful phenomena of local ecosystems is infestations of non-native species. Without a diligent effort to remove and limit their impact, a foreign plant species will suffocate the balance of local and regional biology and disrupt the potential of native life to flourish.
The proliferation of a species largely depends on its response to various environmental conditions: soil, weather, landscape, and available food sources. Therefore, the ecology of biodiversity thrives at a local scale and remains unique within regional sub-climates. Similarly, we rarely witness a uniform singularity within human systems outside local or regional frames, without roughly identical environmental conditions. As such, the vast array of localized external conditions which support communities and life must reflect a diverse range of well-adapted local solutions. The idea to globalize agriculture, diet, education, medicine, or any social system is not only unscientific, it defies the most obvious laws of Nature.
The Fragility of Global Supply Chains Creates the Opportunity for Local Production to Flourish.
Over the past six months, the global supply chain has proven its sensitivity and weakness in the wake of labor shortages, reduced access to ports, and regulations restricting the flow of goods, all of which were unforeseen and remain unpredictable. In essence, the global supply chain is a finely tuned race car with highly sensitive components to maximize delivery times and reduce inventory costs. Recent events prove its lean efficiency is susceptible to unreliable operation outside of optimal conditions.
The disruption of availability for global goods has created an opportunity for diversification towards local and regional production and supply chains. While it could take years to rebuild a domestic manufacturing industry for highly technical and capital-intensive products like automobiles and televisions, America possesses the talent, infrastructure, raw goods, agricultural capacity, and creativity to grow food and lumber, make textiles and clothing, and manufacture a broad variety of consumable goods.
The key to balancing globalism is to cultivate Localism.
The idea of Localism extends far beyond consumer expenditures. We must consider the value of regional production and challenges such as the regular acquisition of local and regional businesses by large global enterprises with wildly different values and limited loyalty to local communities. Additionally, the overreach of centralized national and international systems seeking control will resolve with decentralized decision-making and leaders who respect constitutional rights.
A common question on the tongues of many Americans is ‘what can I do to have an impact?’ Outside of engaging in the local decisions of our cities, counties, and schools, consumers wield considerable influence over political and economic systems through the simple act of voting at the ballot box and with our dollars.
Global goods and ideas should supplement, not dominate or eliminate local politics, commerce, and culture.
Politically speaking, we must preserve local and state sovereignty, which begins by rejecting Federal funding with strings and dismissing national prescriptions for any protocol compromised by special interests. We also must support elected and non-elected leaders who value local and state controls over a cozy relationship with the lobby of global enterprise. Campaign funding offers clear insight into the potential for loyalty with foreign entities who prioritize profit at the expense of American families and culture. Members of both parties are subject to these financial conflicts; the long-term solution is to grossly limit corporate and non-local spending on elections.
Economically speaking, one of the most valuable actions consumers can take to impact our environment, our economy, and our country is to Buy Local whenever possible. This necessitates paying a little more and a willingness to drive to a local store in lieu of the convenience of drop shipping to our doorstep. The impact could be a strong resurgence of local growers, makers, and manufacturers that will stabilize and balance over-developed global production and supply chains with Local ones. Buying locally also assures consumers a continual variety of products and services and the domestic recirculation of money to support local farmers, creatives, and entrepreneurs who build and nourish our communities.
Buy less. Better Quality.
Interesting culture, consumer products, innovation, and ideas are bound to spread, as demand is predicated on a constant search to enrich the human experience. And richness precipitates with balance through diversity and contrast of both local and foreign systems. So how do we assure societal, educational, and economic systems retain a local orientation and align more closely with Nature?
If we continue to spend our money purely based on price and convenience, we only further the monopolization of global enterprise, which seeks to create a homogenous singularity of education, culture, retail goods, food, medicine, and all other aspects of our lives. Can you imagine a world where only national restaurant and retail chains existed? A world with no small, local grocers or farmers markets, movie houses, or music venues? A world with one-size fits all diet and healthcare?
Do we want a cheap $12.00 broom from a national home supply store or an $18.00 one that will last four (or ten) times longer? Do we want to purchase from and promote national brands whose supply chains depend on the unethical treatment of international laborers or local creators that use high-quality materials or those who facilitate sourcing or production overseas through ethical supply chains and fair wages?
We can liberate our lifestyle by owning fewer things we fully enjoy and use consistently instead of buying more things we rarely use. And spending time to find unique local merchants and makers is hugely rewarding. While we more often associate joy with experiences, we need material things. Spending with local producers builds community and diversity and models our behavior with Natural systems.
The Future of International Trade is Distribution for fairly-priced materials and partially finished goods for Local production and assembly.
Capitalism is not the root of our social and economic problems; it is unfair competition and the externalization of costs achieved by large corporations through the corruption of regulators and elected and non-elected officials. Fair capitalism combined with a consideration of human rights, ethics, and the quintessential Natural Law, ‘do no harm,’ represent a promising opportunity to rebalance ecological and economic systems through the practice of fair competition and an intentional effort to invest in local and regional commerce. This begins with consumers exercising discipline to purchase local goods whenever possible.
The future of globalism will inure to the benefit of local economies, not just to the pockets of Global monopolies. The race to the bottom, where price is the only consideration, will shift to a conscious model of building equity, not just employment, abroad. Building equity derives through fair wages and mission-driven capitalism that gives back to the communities that provide raw materials and labor for their products. Over time, these communities are lifted from poverty and improve their quality of life.
Take Allafia Body Care, which invests a portion of its net profit into the local villages in Africa where they harvest ingredients. They provide maternal care, bicycles, school supplies, and support local education. This model is an exemplary approach that embodies global stewardship, Love, and sharing equity over pure profit and exploitation of labor.
Buy Local. Think Local.
There is a place for globalism. It is part of an overall strategy that prioritizes diversity and variety through the supplementation of local goods and services. Globalism is one end of a spectrum that mirrors local variety; balance is somewhere in the middle. Socio-economic benefits must be equitable for producers, labor, the local communities where materials extraction occurs, and recipients of goods abroad. This demands a value system that considers more than price and a general shift away from pure convenience.
Ask who the owner is. Ask where the goods originate. Ask if the company pays fair wages. Ask who is funding the campaign. A little curiosity goes a long way to familiarize ourselves with who we are electing and doing business with and to support local entrepreneurship, which cultivates a strong network of local communication and commerce.
Let’s go local.
Austin Farmers Markets
https://www.austintexas.org/austin-insider-blog/post/austin-farmers-markets/
http://www.edibleaustin.com/index.php/farmersmarkets
Austin Local Businesses
https://www.ouraustintexas.com/directory
https://www.austintexas.org/austin-insider-blog/post/shop-local/
East Side Local Businesses
https://www.eastsideatx.com/small-business-saturday-austin-2021/
Black-Owned Local Businesses
https://www.eastsideatx.com/black-owned-businesses-and-organizations-in-east-austin/
https://www.austinbcc.org/local-businesses
Craftsmen and Furniture Makers
Excellent essay -