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?