Where Do Our Food Dollars Go?

The given

We all spend money on food.

The questions

1. How much money do we have to spend on food?
2. Where do we spend our food dollars?

Thinking through some answers

1. To answer the first question, we simple examine our food budget. Certainly, we don’t want to go over-budget. This is pretty cut and dried.

2. The second question is not so easy. We all have money to spend on food. But WHERE do we choose to spend it? Consider the choices. Real foods, whole foods, natural foods, organic foods, local foods, fresh foods, and homegrown foods. Conventional foods, frankenfoods, chemically synthesized foods, refined foods, packaged foods, sprayed produce, and junk foods. This list is not exhaustive.

There are many budget-wise shoppers who have a certain amount of money to spend and consider carefully where to spend it. The amount of money available to them may not allow them to purchase the highest quality in every food category. Where they aren’t able to buy “the best” they rightly trust God with for their health, their giving, and their future.

However, others spend a good bit of their money on junk foods and conventional foods, and think not that their money is padding the pockets of corporations who don’t care about God, people or the earth. I believe people should stop pushing their money this direction. Instead, I wish their food dollars would support those who follow healthy growing practices and who are careful stewards of the resources of water, soil, plants and seeds.

If we are able, I believe it is best for us to use our food dollars to support support local, sustainable and healthy farming practices. In many cases, through careful shopping and planning — by purchasing in bulk; by purchasing from out of the way sources; by growing as much of our own food as possible; or by purchasing local, seasonal abundances — it is possible to spend a similar amount of money as if we were spending it in conventional venues.

What are your thoughts on these issues? How do you weigh where your food dollars go? Do you have any suggestions for how people can save money when purchasing GNOWFGLINS™?