Mercado Seguro | Ecudaor
One thing I really can appreciate about the markets in Ecuador is how sustainable they are. All the food is locally sources from small to medium sized farms, which is something Americans can only dream of. You get to know the vendors and the producers of either the produce you buy or the meals you get, then you directly put money into their pockets. This is something remarkable for the local economy. Another thing I really appreciated was the fact that the plates they serve your meals on is a real, porcelain plate rather than plastic or paper you may get back in the states which just goes in the trash. Using washable plates is very environmentally sustainable and doesn’t allow for more trash to enter the ecosystem. Another way I noticed the market is sustainable, is economically. Not only does the market support local business and work but it also allows for citizens to buy produce at an affordable cost. The affordable cost of local goods allows for the need for imported goods to be minimal, which reduces the carbon footprint of items that are bought here as well as allowing Ecuador to sustain itself and without needing outside help.
Although almost all the stands are run by local business owners there isn’t fierce competition between vendors. You may ask if they have a specific item, and if they don’t they will send you to where you can find it rather than insisting they have a better product you should buy. This shows how different the culture here in Ecuador is compared to the competitive competition in the United States. Ecuador is largely a communal society that looks out for the good of the group rather than the good of the individual. This is shown on a small scale in the markets where vendors will quickly share their potential customers as well as on a large scale with the socialist government attempting to provide better health and education for everyone. This directly shows the ideas of “buen vivir” through attempting to suppress the negative side of a capitalistic society through focusing on the community rather than the individual.
