The Locavores Dilemma, Book Review Example

Problems Presented in the Book

In the revealing book about food markets and sustainability, Desrochers & Shimizu (2012) talk about the food chain, the impact of food manufacturers on the environment and people in the surrounding areas. The book is highlighting several ethical issues related to farming, environment and human exploitation around the world. The dilemma presented in the book makes readers think differently about what they consume, and their consumption patterns’ impact on the environment. The authors go against the current initiatives to promote eating local food, and state that eating global is more sustainable long term than the production and sales of local food. They simply state that “locavores belong to an environmentalist sect that makes a moral issue out of where your food is grown” (Desrochers & Shimizu, 2012, p. 8).

Business Strategy and Stakeholder Responsibility

The authors state that the most sustainable method of farming is the same system that is used today.  Further, they say that food miles do not matter any more, as the effectiveness of processing is much higher now than in small farms or food processing firms. Finally, the authors also mention that non-organic food has a great price advantage over local and organic food, and it is safer for customers. According to the book, the Locavores are wrong, and promoting local produce sales directly to customers would reduce the availability of quality, safe, and affordable food items. According to the book, large companies and food manufacturers do take into consideration the interest of customers. They produce safe, affordable, and standard quality items  readily available to purchase. As the authors  state: “consumers went from shopping in ‘dry good’ stores to the ‘permanent summertime’ produce sections of progressively larger supermarkets whose ever expanding range of offerings have become only safer, healthier, and considerably more affordable” (p. 29). Further, some items cannot be produced in every region. A mother who is looking for a healthy snack to put in their child’s lunchbox in Norway would not find local bananas or oranges offered by a nearby farmer. Therefore, the availability of food is increased by global production and distribution.

Reviewing the problem from the aspect of competitive strategy, it is evident that global food producers have a competitive advantage over local farmers. They can offer more variety of produce, at a low price, and can provide constant supply. This serves the interest of the majority of customers. Requier-Desjardins, Boucher & Cerdan (2003, p. 50) summarizes the findings of the book regarding competitive strategy of local and global food markets: “the only path to competitiveness in a globalized food market bgoes through the availability of production factors at the lowest possible cost level”. Unfortunately,  producing standard, consequent quality food items on a small scale, without pesticides is harder, costlier, and the customer needs to pay extra. Indeed, several food producers and supermarkets are now creating a more competitive and more cost-effective supply chain, in order to reduce the cost of delivery. It would indeed be going against the company’s economic interest to make food travel more than necessary.  Requier-Desjardins, Boucher & Cerdan (2013) state that several companies are now integrating localization projects. Through reduced delivery costs, they can offer even more competitive prices for customers, serving their interest.

Pros and Cons of the Book

The main strength of the book is that it looks at the global food system from the business and sustainability perspective, stating that customers’ interest is served by increased availability and lower prices.

The main weakness of the book is that it does not address the trend that the demand for organic and local food is increasing, and does not provide solutions for integrating these products in the global food chain.

References

Desrochers, P. & Shimizu, H. (2012) The Locavore’s dilemma: In praise of the 10,000-mile diet. New York, Public Affairs.

Requier-Desjardins, D., Boucher, F. & Cerdan, C. (2003) Globalization, competitive advantages and the evolution of production systems: rural food processing and localized agri-food systems in Latin-American countries. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 15 (2003), 49–67