somehow i just refuse to believe that buying goods made in developing companies then shipped overseas to feed our hyper-consumption habits is the only way to assist said developing countries to move forward. there has to be some other way that we can be of assistance besides this twisted system. my feeling is that if we support the domestic economy by buying domestically made goods at a fair price, our ability to reach out in an effective and positive way will be enhanced by our strengthened economy.

did i just make any sense at all?

Well, buying their exports is probably not the only way to support
their economies in the long run. Unfortunately, it seems
to me that people in developing nations will be the first to
suffer whatever fallout comes of local-centric consumerism.
Certainly, while we work out ways to cure the ails primarily caused
by our push for the advancement of industry, technology, democracy,
etc., those who have suffered at the hands of western colonialism
will continue to be the ones who suffer the most.

Already, we've seen how our exploitation of the resources of
developing nations and our overall disregard for the political and environmental consequences of our actions is destroying those nations. Then, we turn a blind eye to their sectarian wars or vilify them for crossing our borders to look for a means to support themselves when we've helped to take most of their options away.

Anyhow, I'm talking too much about matters about which I know too little (help!). Also, I don't want to come off as a cynic regarding the restructuring of our current system of consumerism. I just wanted to shine a light here.

personally, i think there is plenty of room for fair trade in the restructuring. i don't think trade is the problem per se... it is more the ridiculousness of it all (for example - the NY times article that was just being discussed noted that "Britain, for example, imports — and exports — 15,000 tons of waffles a year, and similarly exchanges 20 tons of bottled water with Australia." - I mean, honestly!) So it is that sort of nonsense, which is a huge part of the problem, coupled with the other major issue which is that most trade with developing countries is not fair at all. there will always be a percentage of trade that is going to happen - certainly the demand for things like coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, and much more is going to have to be met through trade. there are some great groups working to ensure fair trade out there, and i support them 100 percent!

Sure. And one of those groups is the Cambodian government. They're fighting for fair trade: compensation and conditions which live up to acceptable humanitarian standards for all of their workers-- which they can only afford to do if people who can afford to buy their products buy them.

Perhaps they can cut back on blue jean production and concentrate on sowing coffee beans instead? I don't intend to be impertinent; I'm serious. Perhaps they can grow coffee or cinnamon, things that people in the West can't buy locally. Rice may be the way to go.

Certified Fair Trade Cambodian Rice ~ I like the sound of that!

Here's the hard truth! We have gotten so off track on local food in just the last 30 years~ I love world market foods, give me a Thai Green curry any day!!! But, let's take a look at this addiction to variety, to exotic tastes...

In my childhood, (1960's) hardly one had ever eaten an avocado or artichoke in the Midwest,and international food was a dream that was only real when you ate pizza (either in a restaurant on special occasions - or from a box mix)
This boredom was also unrelieved by hot new restaurants. Mostly people ate at home, in fact - they hardly ever ate out, except for church socials or community potlucks...this all a world from the past, from our rural heritage, and certainly a world that did not know what they missed...

Fast forward to today - where Trader Joe's brings us Israeli cheese, Italian olive oil, and such things are very available in any corner market in the USA. We have gotten everyday habits that are going to be hard to break. Do we have to break the imported food habit? Is the 1500 mile salad, the supermarket dinner sustainable? To complicate things - we have gotten used to spending only 11% of our income on food, unlike most of the world - and getting the huge choices, big super sizes of everything as well!!
Yikes - time to reassess. Can we find happiness chewing on locally grown potatoes, broccoli in season, waiting for the peaches to come ripe? This is what local food means - grown nearby and in season. Your CSA shows the way - they give you a basket of whatever is ripe and ready to harvest in the garden. Try the Farmers Market for a great selection of timely foods, picked recently and by people you get to talk to while you handle their life's work! Either is a simple and fun way to begin eating local.
Even more directly connected is your own garden, imagine how much more local can you get – than a 20 foot away dinner rather than a 1500 mile dinner! Check out your own slow food connection as you eat tomatoes that you grew – right off the plant, now that is a 1” dinner….the most local of all…now if only I didn’t need my hands at all – how much closer can I get? Mmmmm, a no-hands lunch! Ok, I am over the top – but you get the point…I have just lowered my carbon footprint by a a factor of a thousand. Yay team! Let’s eat the imports, with grace and appreciation for their amazing availability, occasionally – as befits such luxury. Pass the spinach!