Think the Earth

Organic produce, Campo dei Fiori, Rome:Creative Commons,Some Rights Reserved,Photo by Elizabeth Buie

In Italy, more and more people are using a purchasing system called "Gruppo di Acquisto Solidale (GAS)" to purchase organic and eco-friendly vegetables and fruits. This system allows small groups of people such as friends or families to purchase seasonal fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, dairy foods, and even some general supplies produced by local organic farmers. This system, which began in 1994 in Fidenza, located in northern Italy, is now spreading across the country.

"GAS" directly connects local producers and consumers. You do not have to pay a margin to distributors like, for example, supermarkets, and you can save on transportation, labor, and packaging costs. Consumers can purchase fresh organic products at reasonable prices, and at the same time, small farmers can get the support they need from GAS members. The best part is that by establishing a direct relationship between producers and consumers, consumers can learn to not simply make decisions based on the lowest prices, but look for the best quality-price balance by taking into consideration the respective distribution system and the environmental impact.

The Italian farmer's association Coldiretti estimates that currently there are about 7 million people using "GAS" and it is now taking root as a new form of purchasing.

In Italy, people are trying to cutting down on the cost of living in the face of the severe recession they have been experiencing since 2011. According to AGI, the first market, which enabled people to trade made in Italy products of nearly the same value, was held in Rome at the end of September at the Cibi d'Italia, a large farmers festival. People traded paintings for salami, a flower plant for a bottle of wine, boxes of apples for souvenir statuettes, etc.

Coldiretti reported that the country's first attempt at supporting the real economy by enabling bartering for goods without spending a euro in these times of economic crisis "appealed to 3 out of 4 Italians."

Reexamining the now complex and mammoth supply chain and rediscovering the simplicity of the ways of the past by experiencing the GAS purchasing system, and reviving the barter system. There is much we can learn from the originality and strength of the Italian citizens, who aspire to find a creative solution for today's economic crisis by starting once again at the origin of consumption.