Internet Quote by Jay Rayner
““Have you noticed that there are no local consumer electronics webs, run by earnest chaps with straggly beards called Hugo and Jake who are, ‘you know, just, like, trying to make a difference by cutting down the electronics miles on people’s phones in an attempt to save the planet’? Have you clocked that there is no such thing as an artisan mobile phone? This is because we understand that different parts of the world are better suited to different tasks. You don’t own a local phone because they make them better and cheaper in China, which is a very long way from where you are. Exactly the same applies to our food. Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana – the entire US corn belt – grows so much of it because it has the right climate and the right soil to do so. Bemoaning industrial-scale agriculture in America on principle is about as sensible as criticizing China for making all those mobile phones. Which you wouldn’t do, because you bloody love your smartphone, don’t you, you dirty little digital warrior? And that sound is the penny suddenly dropping. Yes, you are absolutely right: this argument is going to kick ten tons of crap out of the local food movement. Have patience. We’ll get there.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Food Systems, 2023
The speaker argues that local production is impractical for many goods because global specialization yields cheaper, better products, and that criticizing this is misguided.
In simple terms: Global specialization makes products cheaper and better; local alternatives are often impractical.
Accept global trade benefits while supporting sustainable practices.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy advocacy
- educational campaigns
- supporting sustainable brands
- personal consumption choices
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance local sustainability with global efficiency?
- What policies could reduce the environmental impact of global supply chains?
Local production may be environmentally beneficial but often less efficient and more costly.