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Buy local


Many Daily Post readers will have seen the recent story about my hometown of Pwllheli and the decision by a planning inspector to allow an appeal from a major supermarket to allow it to sell non-food items. In his wisdom, the inspector said that there was no evidence that the sale of clothes, CDs, DVDs and books by this supermarket would affect other retailers in this small market town. Unfortunately, the evidence will only become clear when the ‘for sale’ sign goes up on small independent shops in the area.

What on earth is going on? Only earlier this year, Welsh councils were rightly criticised by the Farmers Union of Wales for not doing enough to encourage shoppers to buy local products and cut down on food miles. Can you think of any local campaign that is encouraging you, the consumer, to buy from your local shops?

This in sharp contrast to the situation five years ago, when the ‘Think Local, Buy Local, Act Local’ campaign was launched at the 2002 Anglesey Show to encourage local people to consider where they bought their food. Given the increasing prevalence of large supermarkets in the towns of North Wales since, it is a tragedy that the initial impetus from this campaign has been lost.

Indeed, it remains a mystery why that there is no ‘Buy Local’ campaign across North Wales to encourage people to buy from local shops and businesses to boost their area’s economy, support local employment and to help the environment by reducing ‘food miles’. Consumers and businesses must also understand that buying locally does not only mean only buying food from farmers’ markets, but that it must take into account all the other activities and enterprises that make up our small town and village communities in Wales.

For example, is it any surprise that post offices are being forced to close if they are not being given the opportunity to sell government and council services and, more significantly, consumers are being forced by large companies to pay their bills through direct debit instead of within their local post office?

However, with thousands of small post offices under threat, every person can make a difference. When on the campaign trail recently, one postmaster told me of a local businessman who makes a point of taking his firm’s considerable daily posting to his neighbourhood post office instead of employing large courier companies to do the job. It may cost him a bit extra in time and money but ensures vital business for another local business.

Imagine if every small firm in every town in North Wales did the same.

So let’s all personally adopt the ‘Think Local, Buy Local, Act Local’ campaign. It may no longer be officially running, but at least we can try and keep to its principles and ensure that we support small firms in our local areas as much as we can.

Daily Post 11th June 2007

Comments

Anonymous said…
Edwards of Conwy sausages have been for sale in Tesco for a while by the way. They are the best sausages in Britain. The shop in Conwy is a great place. We need more opportunities for local food through all outlets,

Matt Wright
June 13, 2007 12:34 am
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