Letters to the Editors

In the March/April 2000 issue of Vegetarian Journal, you asked how ethical business owners make it in this cutthroat capitalist economy. My wife and I are the owners of a small health food store (The Good Food Store) in a small town (Laytonville, CA, population, 1,500) and we are also practicing ethical vegans. As we strive to operate our store in a manner that benefits our ethical standards, our business is booming. Here's how we do it.

First, it is very important to realize that although we are able to live up to our vegan principles in our personal lives (excluding work), we cannot expect our customers to do the same, and as a business reality we do make certain compromises. Because we must cater to a wide range of consumers' tastes in order to stay in business, we sell free-range poultry, wild-caught, dolphin-safe fish, and organic rBGH-free dairy products. As much as we would like to eliminate even these pro-ducts, to do so would be fatal to our business. Not only would customers who want those products buy them elsewhere, but they would do the rest of their shopping elsewhere. Also, if we were to become a strictly vegan shop, many of our customers would resent us pushing veganism on them.

Having accepted these compromises up front, operating the store does afford us many opportunities to promote the products and causes we do believe in. Our in-house deli specializes in vegan sandwiches, soups, salads, and smoothies. We have carved out a healthy lunch niche. Cust-omers return not because our food is vegan, but because it tastes so good. Our mostly organic bulk food section is the envy of even the large supermarkets in our area and we are proud to offer a completely organic produce section. We also carry as many organic processed foods as possible, a wide selection of bulk organic herbs, eco-friendly household products, and cruelty-free personal hygiene products. The store also provides us a platform from which we can disseminate information about important issues such as pesticide contamination, genetically modified organisms, factory farming, and yes, veganism.

Since we took over this business two years ago, we have quadrupled our inventory and tripled our sales. We get many compliments every day on how wonderful the store is, especially from out-of-towners. We employ several people in right livelihood in a town where jobs are scarce. This year we expect to actually make a few dollars ourselves. Not too bad for ethical capitalists.