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"Money
makes the world go 'round", as the saying
goes, it turns the cogs of civilization. It is
the seminal component and expression of what we
call value and worth. The reality is that we are
in direct control of what we buy and the results
of these purchases determine what it is we have
to choose from. In other words: if nobody buys
a product, nobody will make the product- supply
and demand. We have "buying power" as
measured by our evaluation of value and worth,
which results in the quantity and quality of products
and services we buy. Billions of dollars a year
are spent to alter and influence these buying
habits through various methods of advertising,
but in the end the individual makes the purchase.
Too many consumers do not |
realize the power
that they hold with this privilege. If everybody purchased
products mindful of how that purchase effects the big
picture scenario of human life on Earthwe could accomplish
many things that people know they don't like but feel
powerless to control, such as chemical lawn care, degradation
of the environment, unhealthy food, or whatever it may
be to the individual.
For example,
Wal-Mart is a constant source of ire for many people.
They are accused of disrupting societies by out competing
smaller "mom and pop" stores via lower prices,
among other things. The problem with this argument
is that Wal-Mart is practicing the fundamental nature
of business—out competing a competitor. At the
same time they are providing a valuable service to
low-income individuals and families. Wal-Mart cannot
be faulted for delivering a lower price to its customers.
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The buyer can only be faulted for buying its products
if they conceptually disagree with the platform
being used to sell it. The issue at hand is education.
How exactly does a Wal-Mart affect local communities?
Are the advantages of a lower cost outweighed
by the potential negatives brought by a Wal-Mart?
It is up to the consumer to determine if the idea,
foodstuff, or the company involved is deserving
of their money. This relationship between the
use of our money and the repercussions of its
use has become an afterthought, if a thought at
all, in modern market based economies. |
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The phenomenon
of Buying Power is most readily apparent in the realm
of "organic" food. The most common complaint
regarding "organic" food is the increased
costs, relative to food not deemed "organic".
The fact of the matter is that the more people who
buy "organic" the cheaper it becomes. The
challenge is to educate the public about the benefits
of buying "organic". There is a level of
monetary sacrifice involved in the beginning, but
in the end it is a question of value and worth. Do
the benefits justify the initial higher price? In
the case of "organic" food it most definitely
does from a health standpoint, but the decision as
to whether it was worth it from a monetary standpoint
is arbitrary. We can only hope that the consumer is
armed with correct and relevant information regarding
their purchase before their decision is made. There
is also an issue of education in what form the food
is bought in. Many people would gladly buy a bag of
greasy potato chips (paying the equivalent of $6-10
dollars per pound of potatoes), but would scoff at
the idea of buying raw organic potatoes at a much
better per pound value because the organic spuds are
more expensive than raw conventional potatoes. Put
it all in perspective.
PG believes that
the more people know about the benefits of healthy
food and sustainable concepts the better prepared
people will be in expressing their Buying Power and
tying that into the grander perspective of life and
sustainability on Earth.
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