Cheapness Quote by Wendell Berry
“The consumer wants food to be as cheap as possible. The producer wants it to be as expensive as possible. Both want it to involve as little labor as possible. And so the standards of cheapness and convenience, which are irresistibly simplifying and therefore inevitably exploitive, have been substituted for the standard of health (of both people and land), which would enforce consideration of essential complexities.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Unsettling of America, 1977
Consumers and producers both seek cheap, easy solutions, which leads to exploitative standards that ignore health and environmental costs.
In simple terms: People want cheap, easy things, harming health and land.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize health and sustainability over convenience.
Themes
consumerism
environment
health
economics
ethics
Mood
concerned
reflective
determined
Type
analytical
critical
ethical
When to use this quote
- food purchasing
- policy making
- urban planning
- education
- activism
Key Concepts
externalities
trade-offs
sustainability
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance convenience with health?
- What policies could reduce exploitative cheapness?
A Different Perspective
Convenience often outweighs long‑term wellbeing.
