On: Math Lessons for Locavores

[tptacek]

I think the Niman Ranch backlash is quite a bit overblown, but that the brand commands a premium that the product quality doesn't justify.

Your concerns about the food supply chain are valid. I just don't think it's reasonable to make one food issue ("locavorism: fate or fad?") a proxy for every food issue.

[kragen → tptacek]

I didn't know there was a Niman Ranch backlash; I thought it was just Bill.

I agree that different issues relate to different degrees to each other. But locavorism is advocacy of a deeply different structure for the entire food supply chain, and that does relate to every other food issue. If we're going to restructure the whole food supply chain, we should focus on issues that really matter, like whether the resulting structure is just and resilient, not on the flavor of the resulting veal.

Edit: although of course your personal locavorism may not be any kind of advocacy at all, which would explain your puzzlement at political issues being raised.