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?