The cost of ethical consumption

By Giovanna D. Preda Robertti

The ethics are clear, but everything comes at a cost. Coming from a largely agricultural country in the developing world, I took cheap, seasonal, and locally harvested produce for granted, so my biggest culture shock in Ireland was the cost and quality of “cheap” food–fruits that mold within a week, meat so hard it could chip my tooth. The problem of produce quality, however, pales in comparison to the exploitation of farmers worldwide, and the environmental impacts of intensified agriculture.

The solution to both problems seems simple; buy from farmers’ markets. The 10,000-pound elephant in the room of course is that farmers’ markets are only affordable for middle-class families, while students and the working class are doomed to a world of Tescos and Aldis. So, I go to the big supermarket chain for my weekly grocery run and feel insurmountable guilt; ecological collapse, paid for by your local college students.

There is an urgent need for systemic change, but I'm still hopeful we can push environmental and labor regulations to end multinational food giants’ deliberate exploitation of farmers, consumers, and the Earth.