by Lainey Seyler

Last week Wal-Mart announced it’s launching a global initiative to up its commitment to sustainable agriculture by including more local meat and produce in its stores. “Grocery is more than half of Wal-Mart’s business,” Michael T. Duke, president and chief executive told The New York Times. “Yet only four of our 39 public sustainability goals address food.” Some of the initiatives include selling $1 billion in food sourced from 1 million small and medium farmers, sourcing only beef that doesn’t contribute to the deforestation of the Amazon, and asking suppliers to divulge the amount of water, energy, fertilizer and pesticides used per unit of food produced. That’s all well and good, and it’s a step in the right direction. But it doesn’t  mean much. Wal-Mart’s doing little more than asking for greater accountability from its suppliers. The retailer is known for its low prices and bringing suppliers to their knees in order to get the lowest prices possible. That likely won’t change when it comes to groceries, a category with notoriously razor-thin margins. How local farmers and ranchers will fare at the hands of Wal-Mart’s buyers remains to be seen.  — Kyle Tonniges Ryan Gish of West Omaha’s Gish Bistro is opening a drive-through and delivery wings restaurant called WingIts at 180th and Pacific. Gish and partners are hoping to cash in on the late-night crowd by offering fried chicken with 10 different sauces, wraps and salads until 2:30 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday nights (and until 10 p.m. Mondays and Sundays). The restaurant won’t have dining-room seating. Call 884.2100 for more information. — Lainey Seyler Comments? Questions? Want more? Check out our Booked blog online at thereader.com. Or email us at booked@thereader.com.

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