I’ve written in the past about Walmart’s decision to supply its stores with local produce, but it now seems Wal-Mart is going a step further in its green/sustainable goals. In Walmart’s recent press release about these initiatives it stated it was aiming to  “help small and medium sized families expand their businesses, get more income for their products and reduce the environmental impacts of farming, while strengthening local economies and providing customers around the world with long-term access to affordable, high quality fresh food”? Really Walmart, is that you?

AND these initiatives are not just focused on Walmart’s own operations, but on revitalizing the economies of rural, LOCAL farming communities. Seriously, where has our evil Walmart gone?

Here is what the corporate giant is planning to do:

• Increased sourcing with small and medium sized farmers
• Increased local sourcing, meaning food that’s produced in the same state in which it’s sold.
• Working with suppliers to reduce use of pesticides, energy and water through improved crop selection and agricultural management practices
• Raising income of farmers who are Walmart suppliers

WOW. Of course, these initiatives have received much good press – and skepticism. As Durango Telegraph reporter Ari LeVaux writes, “It may seem out of character for Walmart to act as an agent for positive change, but remember: the only thing Walmart could do that would truly be out of character would be to knowingly undermine its bottom line.” Well said, Mr. LaVaux.

I will say this is a very good step forward for Walmart. However, are they just trying to draw attention away from the policies they’ve received negative press for, like their low wages and outsourcing standards? And will “supporting” these rural areas actually end up hurting area farmers markets, co-ops, CSAs and other speciality markets that are more beneficial to farmers since they are farmer-run? These are questions that will only be answered with time, but I for one am nervous of the big box king’s attempt at going local. Something doesn’t seem quite right here.

The good news is that where Walmart goes, many others will follow. Walmart’s commitment to modeling sustainable agriculture as a viable business strategy at various economies of scale is wlikely to shape market behavior by other corporate giant. If Walmart is paying attention to the “buy local” movement, there must be something to it!

-Jess