I identify with OP on this. It is based on financial position and beliefs. My wife and I are in a financial position where we can spend a little more to support people we know instead of faceless megacorps because we think that is important. We've gone back and forth regarding which businesses and systems we want to sustain with our dollars. After waffling for years, we've found our personal balance. Part of our decision was building relationships and community since we are rooted in our forever home. This sometimes comes at the cost of higher prices, but we like knowing our farmers and we've been to their farms and know what they feed their animals, how they manage soil fertility, etc. That knowledge and trust gives us peace of mind. Everyone has to make their own decisions, but I find the more you learn, the easier it is to see value in some higher-priced, locally-produced items, especially food. I wanted to chase lower prices and ignore ecological costs because I wanted to be FI sooner, but my wife is more idealistic and I'm a convert, though I do try to keep us to a budget.
1) We don't do big box other than Home Depot. MIL was a worker bee for Home Depot and they were good to her.
2) We do local and organic for meat and dairy. Many pesticides and harmful materials are bound up in oils and fats and accumulate there. Since we rely on fat in our diet for energy more than carbs, we want safe, healthy fats. We sometimes raise and process animals for meat.
3) We do local in-season for veggies, trying to grow and preserve our own or source from a local farm. We buy organic from a grocery store to supplement. We will buy conventional if organic is not available or eat something else.
4) We do organic or conventional for staples like beans, rice, nuts, etc. based on price and availability, preferring organic. We either buy at a chain grocery store that only has locations in our state, from a regional organic co-op, or online.
5) We've reduced amazon purchases. We try to not buy stuff, or get used instead, Craigslist or thrift stores. In a choice among various megacorps for things we can't get used, we will choose amazon for convenience/cost.
6) We eat at local, non-chain restaurants if we eat out, which is infrequent
We could cut our budget and FIRE a couple of months sooner, but we feel the quality of the food we buy and the feeling of connection to local farmers or businesses is worth the additional costs and wins out. It is the life we prefer to live, we can afford it, so we do. We expect our fresh, local, organic diet will support good long-term health, which could reduce future costs considerably. Our plan is to in-source food production over time and have a low food budget prior to FIRE.