# Questions to Ask When Sourcing Ingredients

- Is it someone else’s rubbish?
- Is it free?

- Did it come from an animal?
- - Could you find the animal it came from?
    - Would that animal be OK?
    - Did you ask them?

- Was it grown in Dunedin?
- Was it grown in Otago?
- Was it grown in the South Island?
- Was it grown in New Zealand?
- Was it grown somewhere poor? 
    - How much information do you have about its production?
    - Is an equivalent or similar item grown in Dunedin/Otago/SI/NZ?

- What kind of agricultural techniques were used 
    - Synthetic nitrogen fertilisers? Superphosphate?
    - Chemical herbicides/pesticides?
    - Organic?
    - Biodynamic?
    - Permaculture?
    - Regenerative?

- Who grew it? 
    - Is the company small or big?
    - Does it have any accreditations?
    - Are the workers being treated well?
    - Do they seem greedy?

- Who are you buying it from? 
    - The grower?
    - A grower coop/association?
    - A manufacturing/distro/retail business? 
        - Do they have any accreditations?
        - Do they only sell accredited/somehow verified products?
        - Are they a small local business?
        - Is the business owned by a rich white man?

- How much of it will you be using?
- Will it be useful for multiple things?
- How long does it keep?

- Does it look bad? 
    - Could you use something else?
    - Is it time to give up on this ingredient?