To strengthen our local economies and break away from choking dominance by corporate chains, we all need to find ways to promote local organisations and locally-owned companies (Sorry neo-liberal ecomomist and Friedmanites - your simplistic Pareto arguments are not cutting it.) The fact is, only $43 of your $100 spent in a non-locally owned business stays in the local economy, whereas $73 of your $100 spent with locally owned business stays. A good depiction of that is on the site of a local first organization in Western Michigan.
Tampa has its own "local first" movement, the Tampa Independent Business Alliance, founded in 2004. I think they've got the right idea, and the founders of this organization have worked hard to grow the movement but their battle has been uphill. I honor their efforts.
I think we can turn to movements in other regions for inspiration. The "re-localization" movement in Seattle has over 70 communities participating in a regional effort called Sustainable Communities All Over Pudget Sound (www.SCALLOPSwa.org.) This group has lead a Local Eating initiative that has involved the towns around Seattle, over 100 small farms, and tens of thousands of participants who have committed to re-focusing their diet on food raised within 100 miles. For many it's not 100% of the menu - Seattle's a coffee drinking town and there are no NorthWest coffee plantations - but they have committed to other levels - 75%, 50%.
I believe thes folks can inspire folks in central Florida and around the nation. In upcoming posts, I will be bringing you my talks with leaders in the SCALLOPS movement.
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