Old Mc Donald Had a Farm

 

So hear it finally is my post about if farmers are affected by Wal-Mart or not. I just read an article by NPR and Wal-Mart “claims its emphasis on local has saved customers over $1 billion while helping farmers.” I don’t think that small farmers would be able to produce enough produce to sell to a big super store like Wal-Mart and I don’t think that small organic farmers could afford to sell their produce at such a reduced price to Wal-Mart. Also,farmers cannot grow everything all year round right? This article also states that “Walmart’s claim that it supports small-scale farmers just doesn't add up.” “One of the retail behemoth’s suppliers says that all farms, big or small, “have to modify their operations” if they want to succeed in this new age of Walmart groceries.” It seems to me that there is really no real proof out there showing real numbers.

 I know that going to farmers markets can be pricey but I notice a big difference in the taste of the fruits and vegetables, making Wal-Mart look like a crime scene of cuisine. I decided to research some more and found an interesting article by The New York Times also stating that Wal-Mart announced that is going to start a program “intended to put more locally grown food in Wal-Mart stores in the United States, invest in training and infrastructure for small and medium-size farmers, particularly in emerging markets, and begin to measure how efficiently large suppliers grow and get their produce into stores.” Well that is great news America, but I wonder if they will truly do this. This program would help so many farmers because Wal-Mart is the world’s largest grocer. Let's all cross our fingers, but don’t get too excited.