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Rant: My guilt over choosing between local apples and fair trade bananas
Local is greener, but fair trade aids farmers in poor areas.
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the_elizabeth7mo ago
Reading things like this always makes me feel worse about shopping. I mean local apples aren't perfect either if they're trucked in from a few states over and wrapped in plastic. And fair trade bananas still come from a huge company that takes most of the money, it just gives a tiny bit more to the workers. The whole system is set up so every choice feels bad. I've stopped trying to find a perfect option and just try to mix it up.
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lunaw727mo ago
Actually, I see where you're coming from, but I don't agree that every choice feels bad. Sure, nothing is perfect, but that doesn't mean we should stop trying. When I pick local apples or fair trade bananas, I know it's not a full fix. But it's still better than not caring at all. Those small changes can push companies to do better over time. Giving up just lets the bad system win without a fight.
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angela407mo ago
Exactly. Look, I gave up on perfect years ago. I buy local when it's actually local, skip the plastic when I can, but I don't beat myself up over a banana. The goal is to do less harm, not zero harm, because zero is impossible right now.
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