Whole Foods recently announced a heightened focus on buying local produce, including a $10 million budget to promote local agriculture, following pressure from author Michael Pollan, who has called into question the wisdom of industrial organics.

That’s a real key. Whole Foods stock just took a big hit after they forecast a dip in sales and reduced earnings in 2007. Why? Big box stores, like Wal-Mart, are now heavily into sales of organic food. If the corporate mega-farms and Wal-Mart can sell the same thing that Whole Food sells and organic food is just a commodity, Whole Foods loses.

But… if Whole Foods can learn a lesson from “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and find a new focus, based upon decentralization of purchasing, such that their individual stores are able to formulate partnerships with local farmers, they can thrive. What if Whole Foods could create a model for “in-store farmer’s markets”? That’s how they can compete with the big boxes and provide a service to producers and consumers.

Posted by Harry Landers on 7 November 02006 @ 11am