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herbs, local production, etc.
In-Reply-To: Message of 06/01/96 at 12:42:25 from PetersFarm@aol.com
I'm all for selling locally. However, (and I hesitate to mention it),
not all products are equal. Are the herbs fresh or dry? Like flowers
by air, fresh herbs at long distance enjoy transporation (and maybe other)
subsidies that k-o local production. Early long-distance trade carried
spices and tea, plus prestige objects like feathers and silk, and of course
solid wealth like gold. Light weight and high value. Staple foods were
not part of the world system of trade until this century.
In a nutshell, I am not worried about the problems of herb-sellers. They
will not throw the world food system out of balance, whatever they do.
I am worried about the problems of staple-producing farmers everywhere,
because their production system IS the world food system.
Presently, the traditional world food system (local staple production) is
being eradicated, with careful forethought (I do not say malice), to
establish a new and yet untested global food system.
I sincerely hope it will work. I do not have a lot of confidence, but
God help us if it does not.
John Lozier
John Lozier, Ph. D.
Adjunct Associate Professor of Agricultural Education
College of Agriculture and Forestry
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 26506-6108
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***// / Harping for Harmony
\/// / John Lozier, Cultural Anthropologist
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