The Whole Foods Boycott

by Conor Friedersdorf

Though I feel quite strongly that CEO John Mackey is being treated unfairly, and intend to spend more money than I otherwise would at his stores to counteract the burgeoning boycott, I'm not going to write about this subject at length, because Radley Balko (here and here), Julian Sanchez (here and here) and David Frum have already done it better than I can. Note my counter-the-boycott impulse doesn't have anything to do with my agreement or disagreement with Mr. Mackey's position on healthcare. Were conservatives boycotting his stores for taking an opposite position on the subject I'd increase my shopping there as readily -- the only difference is that counteracting a left-leaning boycott will afford me less satisfaction when I buy arugula and spicy dijon mustard.

On the subject of Whole Foods, I'd also like to take this opportunity to suggest that Mr. Mackey provide better resources for his customers who are concerned about ocean conservation. I'd gladly pay a bit more to encourage sustainable fishing, and substitute fish that aren't in danger of depletion if afforded relevant knowledge at the fish counter.