I just finished James McWilliams book Just Food.  My first post/review was a little ramble-y and careless, so it’s been deleted.  A condensed version:

JustFood-JamesMcWilliams

Some folks are taking this as a stab to the local food movement.  I think its a testament to the maturity of the movement, and a recognition of how powerful it has become.  Thoughtful criticism is healthy, and should be used as a tool for improvement, not a distraction.

Supporting local food is great, but it’s a mistake to think shopping at the farmer’s market is alone enough to save the world.  Same with  recycling.  Or driving a Prius.  I am sometimes struck by how elitist the local food movement seems; we’re not done making the world a better place just because we get our groceries at a farmers market.

McWilliams might go a little too far in the spirit of selling books by stirring controversy with a few blows below the belt, but at least his general statement deserves some discussion.  Hopefully, it inspires some ideas from our heroic local farmers that lead to a continued march towards sustainability on the farm, in local food distribution systems, in consumption, in resource management, and everywhere in between.  While that happens, we just be the best consumers we can be, and try to lead by example rather than looking down on others, making the smartest decisions we can about our everyday actions without paralysing ourselves by over-analyzing, and striving to do what’s best for our kid’s future.  It’s a good read, and pretty quick.

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