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How to Write Your Own Grocery List

If others want to embark on a groceries project of their own, I have several ideas/questions.

What are your privileges? – This question helps you place where you are in the system so you understand where you can step up to do better.

What are your disadvantages? – this also places you in the system but instead is about letting go of guilt and expectations for things you don’t control.

How much do you know about the food system? What is your relationship to it? – this question is about gaining knowledge. Equip yourself to move beyond buzzwords, greenwashing, and trends. Suggested: 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge (https://foodsolutionsne.org/21-day-racial-equity-habit-building-challenge/), New England Food Vision (https://www.nefoodvision.org/), Growing Food for Justice (https://growingfoodforjustice.com/), Social and Economic Effects of the US Food System (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK305168/)

What are your values? – Do you really care about unionized companies? What about local goods? Treatment of farm workers and fishermen? Reducing animal consumption? You may find a lot of things matter to you upon reflection, and it might take trial and error before you go in one direction.

What certifications or other features do you look for? – you may not have a wide selection in your town and will have to explore online.

Is your household on board? How can they support you? – You will not get far if no one will eat the food, and your work is greatly reduced if other people can shop or research for you.

What is the local scene? – co-ops, refill stores, and “green” sections are popping up in many areas. Check out places you don’t normally go to and let inspiration strike you whenever. If it is an infrequent purchase, consider making a trip to something farther away.

What are you willing to sacrifice or change? What are you not? Are there actual purchase changes you want to make, not just replacements? –  A big part of the move to a more sustainable food system is eating less meat and dairy. You don’t have to swear off all animal products forever to have an impact. Don’t be afraid of pushing your limits but remember that you should be able to do this for a long period of time. Perhaps you have a safe food you cannot do without. You might have a child who is weary of trying anything new. You may detest shopping and want to spend as little time doing it as possible. If you can’t see yourself eating this food or shopping at this store for at least the next year, don’t force it.

How do you want to track this? How do you know when you are done with the project? – you may never be truly finished, but it is good to have a moment where you can recognize success and progress. Is it the number of trips that would have been to the supermarket but went somewhere else? What about brands changed or % of your pantry that is sustainable? Do you want to track this at all (because you don’t have to!)? For the data minded among us, try assigning points or weights to different factors like B Corp Certification, employee ownership, organic status, etc. You can track your total points as well as the points a product is worth, giving a qualitative veneer over what might be a gut-based process. In practice, I am constantly changing and reviewing my shopping. However, once I had a system in place that would set me up to make purchases I liked without significant effort spent on each item and that could handle change, I decided I was done.

At what point does convenience, cost savings, luxury, inclusion, etc. no longer justify the harm done to people or the planet? – I do not ask this as a trap or a gotcha. You may genuinely be in a position where to not shop as the supermarket isn’t a reasonable option. In the system, we are often placed as both victim and perpetrator. You do not have to justify your choices to me, the cashier, or your grade school teacher’s grandma. Personally, I don’t find that much of the harm can be justified. I can pay a higher price or go without. When I can’t go without, medication being an example of this, I do so knowing that I am making the right choice for myself and that my existence in a flawed society does not make me a bad person. Be willing to reflect, question, and forgive yourself.

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The Grocery List: Sustaining Sustainability

Though my current system is working well, the project is about conscious striving to do better. Circumstances will change. The summer farmers’ market provides even more options when it is open. I also don’t know if I will be willing to do my walks in the middle of winter. Food seasonality, changes in time and energy, a sudden financial crisis – lots can impact the project. Because I am not focused on always meeting a certain standard or percentage of “good” products, I hope I can adapt without much guilt.

This project needs to last, or it has failed. If the most ethical option would be to grow all my food, it wouldn’t be the most sustainable because I cannot sustain that. In many ways the system works against ethical purchases. To be focused on sustainability means to be constantly working against the incentives the system offers. Since there is no leaving all of society, I need to find the best way to live within it.

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The Grocery List: Third Party Certifications

It is relevant to mention third party certifications and marketing terms because they do inform the decision-making produces. “Green”, “sustainable”, “clean”, “natural” – these tell me nothing about the product. It is fine to use those words but if they are not backed up by fact they are disregarded. Companies that are doing the work are usually putting it front and center. I personally do not prioritize non-GMO or organic labels. I don’t find them to carry consistent meaning, nor I do place a lot of value on them. Many companies excelling in other areas will meet these standards when possible. I do keep my eye out for Fair Trade products and Leaping Bunny products. Both certifications seem more rigorous and aligned with my values.

I also look for B Corp status. The difference between B Certification and others is B Corps account for the whole company as opposed to one product. It is not uncommon to find product lines that focus on fair trade or environmental values only for every other product put out by the same company to be sustainability-free. B Corps have to certify the entire company. I am most familiar with the B Impact Assessment out of all others and thus have more confidence when seeing it. However, company-wide certifications can have more variability. If a company does really well in the workers section, it can do poorly in the environmental section and still reach the 80 points necessary to certify. If I am looking for a specific value or standard, I would have to find a product certification to match that.

Many qualities of a product or company can stand out. Thus, third party certifications hold weight but are not the only factors in a purchasing decision, the same as being local does not guarantee good workplace practices. Like most things in sustainability, each option requires consideration and nuance.

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The Grocery List: Privilege

Peppered throughout the writing, there are references to my privilege. It is worth explicitly discussing this as it is a huge part of both deciding to do this and how I did it. I may not identify all factors (privilege is, after all, blinding) but I shall do my best to review the major ones: money, time, location, knowledge, and stamina.

I, or rather my family, have enough money to decide to make more values-driven purchases. This is something I am aware of and keep in mind for more than just grocery shopping. Though the more ethical prices can be sometimes shocking (we continuously remark on the $17 orange juice), it is still a choice I can make. (Restating that I live at home and my parents pay for the household. I am using personal pronouns for consistency.)

There are two ways time factored into this project. Firstly, doing the research takes time. Then doing the walks and shopping at all the different stores is time consuming. I have this time and make the decision to spend it this way. In the future, my schedule could change, and I would have to make different decisions. Even in my own household, I was leading the project because of my available time and interest.

Thirdly, I am geographically advantaged. I live in an area with lots of farms and small shops. This is a cyclical privilege as these shops can only exist with customers and customers can only shop local if they have those stores available. As my hometown is now, I have options.

I have more knowledge of sustainable business than the average consumer. I received a degree in the subject and have experience in mission-driven companies. I am very acquainted with greenwashing and how it is done. I also know the damage of holding myself and others to an ethical standard that cannot be met in the system in which I live. The mindset, experience, and information I have sets me up for success with this project.

The last piece I want to mention is stamina, which is an important, hard to quantify factor. Everyone has their own level of energy and energy demands. Family, work, friends, and chores all take energy. You could have several hours free for your grocery shopping but be so exhausted by work it does not matter. The way I currently live allows for enough stamina to prioritize and succeed with this project.

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The Grocery List: Impact

It is commonly said that individual consumer choices are not enough to change the US food industry. This is not wrong. I doubt the shift in my purchasing has been noted by my supermarket or the brands I used to buy. However, even if the big companies don’t notice my decision, the opposite is also true. Additional, frequent customers at small stores can be a boost for those companies. That impact is surely felt. And the more of that benefit there is, the better, as it allows independent companies to stay in business and contributes to the local economy. The money stays where it is spent. If I want to live in a town with a bakery, farmers’ market, soap store, etc., then I need to actually shop there and not treat the companies as ornamental.

The decision to prioritize local brands and stores was not automatic. I may find larger or ethically certified brands at the supermarket. A small store may decide not to distinguish itself by getting a third-party verification of its values. I have been to “farm stands” that just repackaged grocery store items in rustic containers. Local does not always mean ethical.

What local stores do bring is economic vitality. Towns are better off not relying on a single employer or supplier. Having diversity is good for consumers and workers. Furthermore, though being local does not guarantee ethical practices, many stores go down that route anyway to give them better standing with customers and because they are more reliant on strong work and supplier relationships. I have found that I am not lacking in sustainable product options at small stores, and I am more confident in the choices made by the business. I still go to the supermarket for some brands but I am less reliant on their selection. Plus, if I can’t find something at a small store, they can order it for me, keeping them in the process without restricting my purchases.

Shopping locally also brings personal benefits. I grow more aware of my town and better know the other people there. I get the more personal shopping experience and often higher quality goods. I get to feel like I am in a movie that takes place pre-suburbs or in some sort of Gilmore Girls-esque town where you have not just an address but also a community. It is not surprising that many “ideal” neighborhoods are walkable, connected, active, and friendly. I benefit from an appreciation of the world around me.

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The Grocery List: Attempt 3 - The Road Less Traveled

While I contemplated the project, the days lengthened, and the weather warmed. My father and I went on a long walk to the butcher where they know my father on sight and they source from local farms. My dad mentioned how he often had as a goal to walk three miles a day. I realized that most of our preferred stores were in that 1.5-mile radius, and many had usable, if sometimes unpleasant, sidewalks. Thus, a new plan was devised.

In the morning, we would open the grocery list and choose a local store. We would walk there, make a purchase, and walk home, benefitting our physical and mental health as well as the shops. The reusable bag craze had reached its final form: my father’s hiking backpack with enough room and back support for at least two regular bags of groceries. We made an odd sight, walking across the bridge in our coats, casual clothing, and hiking gear, but the town has seen odder.

“Would you like a bag?” the cashier asks. “No, thank you”, I say, hoisting a backpack the size of my young cousin on to the table. “We brought one.”

This worked well if we went frequently as the grocery list never got to so many items we couldn’t carry them home. The list on the fridge became more useful as we tested different stores.

I still went to the supermarket frequently. While there, I noted brands to research or find alternatives to. Some things, like plastic wrap, feel almost impossible to replace or find local alternatives for, so keeping in mind that I was not seeking perfection was helpful.

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The Grocery List: Attempt 2 - The Great List

The research method did not work. Oh, well. I would have to leave the convenience and familiarity of the supermarket. I am lucky to live in an area with many local producers and sellers that can cover most of our needed products. I did a deep dive online, scrolling through ingredient lists on the local spice exchange and bakery websites. When out with friends, I would note down which stores sold grocery items. I opened up my spreadsheet and listed stores and their merchandise. This list was printed and put on the fridge. (All hail the magnetic fridge doors. May they remain in production forever). This list could act as a reference. When a new grocery list was printed out, the shopper could look at the list and choose which store to go to based on their need.

On its test run, this yielded helpful information. One store had to be removed because shopping there was so inconvenient, we would probably never make it a habit. Another store was added after my father noticed its wide selection, and I also added a list of notable brands at the supermarket.

Still, it was on the shopper to use the list, which was often forgotten or disregarded because people didn’t want to go to multiple stores for each grocery outing. It was becoming clear that I had to take a more active role in the actual shopping if I wanted my project to move forward.

[Image ID: a screenshot of an excel spreadsheet. Stores are listed with their accompanying products with different colors shown to differentiate each category

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The Grocery List: Attempt 1  - Research and Replace

After a few months of hoarding grocery lists, I compiled them into a spreadsheet. I tracked frequency of purchase, any commonly mentioned brands, and the seasonal outliers (candy-corn is essential but only in October). This gave me the ability to group purchases and assign them to stores. Produce, for example, can be first looked for at the farmers’ market.

[Image ID: a screenshot of an excel spreadsheet. Product types such as granola bar and cereal are listed, with the frequency of purchase and whether or not alternatives have been researched.]

My plan was to research brands at the supermarket and have the family try a new and approved brand each week. By prioritizing things already available at the supermarket, I would be minimizing the change in routine. Working within the existing household system promised longevity for the project.

Unfortunately, this was a lot of work for little reward. It took far too long to research each brand, and most didn’t go beyond a few green buzzwords. Importantly, there were few independent brands. After searching through the first few layers of online information, you would find that “Green Sustainable Family Item” was owned by Kraft or Tyson or a private equity firm. Furthermore, I was trying to minimize the project’s burden on my father, who did most of the shopping. I would need to be present to enforce these changes, and I wasn’t reliably available for grocery shopping.