Our buddy Zachary Adam Cohen of Farm to Table wrote a terrific piece about a month ago called Where are the Conservatives in Local Foods? that was reposted all over the solar system. In it, he smartly made the case that the local and slow food movements are a natural fit for conservatives, who value “the local over the federal, small businnes over corporate,” and pondered how these folks might be brought into the natural food tribe.
Which got me wondering if Mackey were doing just that with his recent editorial slamming health care reform. I wonder if, instead of a lapse into hubris and narcissism as many have suggested, is the CEO of Whole Foods foxily making a play for the conservative shopper, who really ought to be embracing the economics of local food and sustainability?
Not bloody likely. But intentionally or not, that may be what’s happening. From the Whole Foods forum on health care reform:
I’ve read lots of posts today from the newly converted Whole Food shoppers, and longtime shoppers who feel newly empowered by Mr. Mackey’s stand on public health care. Well, by all means, share with your friends and neighbors Whole Food’s CEO’s health care values!
Bring copies of the Wall Street Journal opinion along with you as you shop! Tell everyone you know! It could be a glorious movement and you could make all the liberal whiners (like me) look really stupid as product flies off the shelf!
Ask your local FOX affiliate to stop by a newly crowded store and show off your powers of persuasion!
There’s no way you can fail!
If I did it, I’d look like a socialist agitator. BUT – If you do it, you are merely shining a light on a great American Patriot who had the courage to put President Obama and the neglectful uninsured in their rightful place.
What a forum!
From Whole Foods’ “CEO’s Blog”:
and
and
Your sound reasoning and clear commentary on health reform has won you a new customer for life.
Granted, none of these conservative shoppers is saying, “OMG. You’re right! I…I should be buying local and free-range and…YES…organic IS better for the local economy!” But if these people walk in the door of Whole Foods and see that there aren’t any Che Guevara banners hanging from the rafters as they suspected, maybe they might actually start to rationalize their decision to shop there by seeing their conservative view point in the values espoused in local, sustainable and organic products, as Zachary described.
More: Wheatsville Co-op’s general manager makes the case that co-ops are conservative in nature.
…a world where all the right-wingers shopped at Whole Foods and all the lefties started their own co-ops would be an improvement. One can dream…
But this doesn’t mean I have to start watching NASCAR, does it?
El Dragon, what a great post, and I think I agree with you that Mackey probably isn’t as wily as it seems. I actually thought his op ed was pretty ridiculous. But honestly, at this point i am willing to accept whatever means necessary, within reason, to get more people to eat more local foods, including an obnoxious op ed by an influential CEO. BTW…you won’t necessarily have to watch more NASCAR now, but it doesn’t hurt.
thanks again, and my ego thanks you for anointing me a prophet…
You may not be a prophet but you asked the right question. “Where are the conservatives?”
Or another way to ask it, “Why is local/organic ‘liberal’?” It’s not. I think because its recent roots are in the get-back-to-the-land-dude movement, sustainable food’s got a whiff of patchoulli about it. But as you pointed out in your article, the base values are also Jeffersonian, Goldwatery conservative. (Same thing with co-ops. Co-ops are totally conservative in nature, as Dan Gillotte of Wheatsville Co-op was just saying.)
I think the Left and Right in this country have the same problem — sold their souls to corporatism. Makes my head spin when I hear a conservative defend corporations as if talking about Pa Ingall’s farm on Little House on the Prairie. Ditto Democrats who long for the Clinton-era, and its cowtowing to big business.
But maybe it’s changing. Maybe small farming, sustainable farming and Pro Food are where left and right might actually find a great deal of agreement.
sure, except that whole foods is a right-wing company that donates to right-wing causes.
don’t believe me?
HERE
and
HERE
Everyone around here believes you, dude.