How Wal-Mart might prove that two “wrongs” sometimes makes a “right”

The New York Times has a story today about how Wal-Mart wants to start selling a lot more organic groceries. And, because Wal-Mart is such a bloated monster of a retailer, if it demands that food companies produce more organic products and produce them at a lower price, then food companies will have to produce more organic products. As the article says,

Some organic food advocates applaud the development, saying Wal-Mart’s efforts will help expand the amount of land that is farmed organically and the quantities of organic food available to the public.

But others say the initiative will ultimately hurt organic farmers, will lower standards for the production of organic food and will undercut the environmental benefits of organic farming.

We’ll see; but if the evil Wal-Mart’s bullying demand for more organic processing means a change in the way food is manufactured, I’d say that’s a good thing.