Avoid Becoming the Self-Righteous Locavore

A lot of people say that locavores and “real foodies” are elitist. It seems like a silly argument to me, since the very first job man was given was to till the garden. Of course, if they are referring to those who fill their carts with expensive “organic” foods and have no intention of ever meeting a farmer or growing food themselves, well… they may not be too far off.

On the other hand, I think it is easy to jump on the locavore bandwagon for the wrong reasons. It is even easier to become self-righteous in doing so. Just look at all of those “bad” people who buy at the big box stores… why can’t they do something “good” like us?

We shouldn’t do it because it is green, hip, planet-saving, or feel-good. We should eat locally because we have a duty and a responsibility to do so. Because it is sustainable, common sense and real.

Guess what – man’s wonderful invention and creativity got us into this mess. Now… we can either continue to be smug, greedy and self-righteous, whether we’re at the big box store or the farmer’s market, or we can get back to the way things are supposed to be.

It’s obedience and common sense, not good works.

This post is my weekly contribution to Food Roots, where we discuss where our food comes from. It is also a contribution to real food Wednesdays.