Local Economies
For a hundred years we've been steadily extending the supply lines of our economy, becoming ever more globalized. But some have begun to question that trend, and even to form the foundations of a newer, more local economy. The main reasons are two-fold: our ever-growing globe-spanning economy is increasingly vulnerable to the ecological disruption it is causing, with global warming the prime example; and despite record affluence Americans report ever-growing feelings of disconnection and loss of community, trends that can only be reversed if we manage to rebuild local institutions that draw people together.
To wit, the farmer's market: energy-efficient local food, and the average shopper has ten times as many conversations as a supermarket shopper. No wonder they're the fastest-growing part of our food economy. Now we need to get going on other sectors too.
Tips for Launching a Local Business Alliance
The following forms provide tips for independent booksellers interested in initiating a local business alliance, but they can be adapted by any local business owner interested in uniting the other local businesses in a community and forming an alliance to local merchants and service providers.
- Tips for Launching a Local Business Alliance [PDF]
- Tips for Promoting Localism in Your Bookstore [PDF]
Internet Resources
- The Relocalization Network
- Local Harvest
- Business Alliance For Local Living Economies (BALLE)
- The Community Alliance of Family Farmers (facts quoted throughout this site)
