I’m not fond of making a commitment at the start of the year. Usually, it’s about losing weight or a bad habit, and rarely is it about reinforcing a positive behavior.
I suppose due to the many changes that the world has faced this year, I’ve come up with some resolutions that might stick. Most of these resolutions are about our buying power and how in a world where we have more than one choice out of every product, buying an environmentally conscious, local product from an SME is probably our best bet in helping as many people as possible, with the least amount of environmental impact.
I implore, dear reader, that you might want to take a couple of these for the year, see which sticks, and commit to them, as all of these have more power when done collectively.
Buy Local
Between a local but more expensive choice, and an affordable option from an imported brand, the unassuming consumer would likely get the more affordable option without thinking about it.
There are many good reasons for this, but the economics of scale would always win. For most consumers, price wins when it comes to making a choice. We cannot blame them for making this choice, when for the most part, they don’t have much of it when a couple of pesos savings can cause a significant difference in one’s buying power.
However, for the conscious buyer who has some more to spend, it would be best to support local because while it may cost more, it helps more of those who work on the fringes. The world is catching up with fair trade coffee, or cruelty-free products, yet somehow, we tend to miss out on the impact of buying products that can help our very own people.
Buy from SMEs
Ninety-nine percent (99%) of all businesses in the Philippines are considered to be Small-to-Medium Enterprises, or SMEs. This means that the odds of supporting these enterprises are quite high. It can be your neighbor’s cake business, but it can also be some of the garments that you buy — it’s likely that most of the products that you consume has an alternative from small scale entrepreneurs.
Personally, I buy meals from a brand that a friend manages at least once a week, and I get my coffee from another friend who resells locally sourced coffee. I still go to the supermarket for many needs, but some products that can be bought from the local market, especially fresh vegetables, I try to support whenever possible.
It seems like a little bit of an effort at first, but once I got the hang of it, it became a little easier over time. It adds a little bit more to my daily step goals, and I suppose my neighborhood corporate coffee shop doesn’t miss my business that much. It makes me feel a little bit better that I am part of a narrative that helps to increase the bottom line of smaller businesses.
Buy Eco-Friendly Whenever Possible
Environmental consciousness has become a standard that we ask of, especially now that we are seeing the impact of not giving back to nature, which has given us so much.
I’m not going to say that I am doing any better here, but knowing that markets change based on demand, perhaps my small effort in making better choices in my purchases might help in causing further destruction. Purchasing food from brands that have better packaging, buying larger format packaging instead of individual sachets or using skincare products that are closer to nature are just some of the many options we have out there.
Endnote
I’m not going to be militant and asking you to do a lot of these changes. There are different reasons and levels of resources available for every single individual, and asking for everyone to make these changes overnight is unrealistic and downright silly.
I’ll always go back to the adage that “The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good,” meaning that we should try to aim to change, even if it is imperfect, because more people doing it imperfectly would create a better impact than a handful who are doing it perfectly. Dear reader, may all of the changes in your life in 2021 be fruitful, life-affirming and ultimately, for everyone’s betterment.