Does It Really Matter if Supermarkets Source Produce Locally?

The irony is stark. The organic grocer that is arguably most closely identified with the local sourcing of food is moving away from the practice while the country's largest supermarket chain is edging closer to the source of its produce. Whole Foods Market has begun centralizing its purchasing to become more efficient and profitable just as Kroger (NYSE: KR) has unveiled its "We Are Local" campaign.

While Whole Foods' decision may appear to simply be a corporate one made by a far-removed management team following Amazon.com's (NASDAQ: AMZN) purchase of the grocer, in reality, it's a smart move that eliminates some of the hypocrisy that seemingly surrounds a lot of the "buy local" movement.

Image source: Whole Foods Market.

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Source: Fool.com