Why does decentralizing matter? Here’s one example:
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-recalls/shredded-cheese-recall-a1396345250/
There was a massive FDA issued “Shredded Cheese Recall” that affected more than 45 Brands sold in Puerto Rico and 31 states.
A brand used to be a family business. We trusted brands because they had a reputation in their communities.
But family businesses sold out and finance took over. Clever marketing and factory reproducible products with scientifically engineered preservatives and sweeteners replaced community reputation.
People became addicted to convenience and price reduction. Price reduction came in the form of centralizing production. Now one “oops moment” in a single factory affects 31 states, 1 US territory, 45 brands, and how many thousands of homes and restaurants who purchase those brands?
How can “the people” hold “the system” accountable? A class action lawsuit? All that does is kick the can down the road. Law suits mean higher prices for everyone, new insurance liabilities, new regulations, more taxes, and at the end of the day the same single factory is still producing the same cheese for more than 45 brands.
Food is supposed to be alive and unique. It is not just wine and whisky where one can taste le terrior. Mono-culture farming and factories sanitize our food for the benefit of corporations. The diversification of flavors is reduced to proprietary processes & ingredients that often are detrimental to our long-term health. The same can be said of the software and algorithms we consume everyday.
Start swarms, build businesses, strengthen community, get to know your local farmer (if you can find one).