That is a complex question in our times of industrial farming, artisanal cheese, nonfat, high fiber, free range, fast food and organic.

In answering the question in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan concludes that attempts to blend industrial production with artisanal are doomed to fail.

Industry, selling commodities, strives to be the lowest-cost producer. That strategy dictates exploiting the economies of scale – “sell ever more cheaply and grow bigger or be crushed by a competitor who does.” This requires techniques and technologies that ultimately push out the skilled artisan.

“Artisanal” production works entirely differently. The “competitive strategy is based on selling something special.” Artisanal production does not strive for uniformity; variation is a virtue – the human touch, the soulfulness of art. Technology and capital can’t replace the skilled artisan.

When industry tries to incorporate the artisanal model, it creates a grotesque, soulless caricature of what made the artisanal product special – the expressiveness of the artisan.

Part of the artisanal model, as Pollan presents it, is to stay local. But for items not produced locally, going global is simply employing the age-old human activity we call trade.

That’s what Elegant Roots is all about — soulful products with the touch of the human hand and the time-honored notion of trade. Everyone benefits, from artisan to recipient.

Co-Founder Rob Favole

Today a supermarket in Japan pulled from its shelves frozen green beans from China. One package tested by Japan’s Health Ministry had 34,000 times the permitted level of dichlorvos, a highly toxic insecticide. Investigation continues.

Before this it was milk. Poisoned on purpose to increase profits. Some middle manager diluted the milk and hid the fact by adding the toxin melamine. Apparently the tainted milk was not exported to the US. This time.

And poisoned pet food. And tainted tooth paste. Wave after wave of lead-painted toys.

How can someone poison milk for a little extra profit? Because he doesn’t care. Because it’s impersonal. Pressure to compete. He hopes to remain anonymous.

What’s the answer?

The government should do more. But are you content to rely on the US government to protect you from global products? The same government that handled Katrina? The same government that has been steward of our economy?

There is another option. Keep it personal! Wherever you shop, ask for the Who, What, Where, and Why of your purchases. You won’t have to ask us. Check out our four Ws page. You’ll find the info with every gift we offer. And meet the people who have brought each gift to you on our Designer Profile pages. Among our offerings, you’ll find a few wonderful products from China. There are responsible designers everywhere. Finding them is worth the search. Check out Shokay and Dreamsacks.

Finding them and presenting them to you is what Elegant Roots is all about. It’s personal and assures peace of mind. We’re serious.

Til next time,

Co-Founder Rob Favole

Our First — the Inaugural — the Maiden Blogage

Every good blog should end with a cliffhanger. We’re going one better; the ER blog is starting with a cliffhanger – You.

Our Blog will be rooted in ER’s core values — Quality, Relevance, Transparency, Encouragement and Responsibility. See ER Values Description. Does the mention of core values make you feel like diving off a cliff? See, we’ve delivered already.

But hang in there. The ER Blog will feature entertaining and relevant news, media, and compelling ideas. Occasionally we’ll have guest bloggers. We’ll invite you to comment and review each for posting. We’ll host micro-fiction writing contests with prizes selected from among our wonderful gifts.

While our Blog will celebrate challenging debate, it isn’t meant as a forum for praise or critique of our specific gift offerings or the way we do business. For that kind of input, we sincerely invite readers to use the Contact Us Page.

Info is the new black. Purchasing power coupled with information can contribute to a better world. One purchase, or blog entry, at a time, together we can make positive change. That’s why boycotts work. That’s why they brought back Classic Coke.

So inch back from the cliff’s edge. Come back again to check out the ER blog. And join in. We’ll do our best always to end with a cliffhanger. Starting tomorrow.

Co-Founder Rob Favole