What Are Food Cooperatives?

While the world seems to be just discovering the benefits of local living & the benefits of community based consumer choices, food cooperatives have been in the know for decades. Most food cooperatives began as a group of neighbors who got together and decided that they wanted a better source of food than they currently had available. Many times it was due to the desire for healthier options than were offered in the local mega-markets. They wanted to be able to buy what they wanted in bulk & save money by forgoing the fancy packaging and doing part of the work themselves. Sweat equity saved them money and many cooperatives still reward their volunteers with additional discounts.

The modern day food cooperatives are different in many ways from the crunchy granola places many people once thought of when they heard about a food cooperative. Most are open to anyone who wants to come to shop, not just the patchouli smelling hippies of the past. You are just as likely to see the soccer moms, professional retirees and young affluent couples along side the dread-locked optimist and vegan animal activists. Cooperatives have become the place that focuses on community, whatever that community may be. Everyone is welcome to shop member or not.

Food cooperatives are owned by anyone who wants to join & pay their dues. They truly are locally owned businesses. The profits remain in the local community, typically by remaining at the cooperative to safeguard the future of the business or can be given back to the owners in the form of rebates or dividends. Basically, there is no one person who is getting rich off the success of the business, but everyone involved has a vested interest in seeing the business do well. Some places charge yearly rates to become an owner while others offer a plan where after you pay a certain set amout you are an owner for life. Owners are responsible for governing the business, and the modern food cooperatives are operated as businesses rather than the clubs of by gone days. Most coops govern by having the owners, sometimes called members, vote in elections to pass or prevent various issues and elect a group of directors. The board of directors help to steer the vision and future of the cooperatives by supporting the general manager as they conduct the daily operations of the cooperative business.

The National Cooperative Grocers Association, or NCGA as it is commonly referred to, is the national organization that brings cooperatives from all across the United States together. The benefits of this are endless. The combined buying power allows cooperatives to influence manufacturers to give them deals that help to compete in price with bigger chain stores. This way even the smaller cooperatives gain from the option of being a part of the group & purchasing the products their shoppers want at better prices. Communication tools and networking meetings, help everyone learn tips and best practices as well as from other's mistakes. The phrase "we're all in this together" really is felt in the way that the cooperative markets employees work together to strive for each cooperative's success and sustainability. Through achrived resources and groups that communicate online, there is always support and sharing of ideas. The NCGA website, www.ncga.coop, gives a more in depth view of the successes and issues facing cooperatives today as well as how to start up a cooperative in your area (with help, guidance and potentially some funding from them to make the process easier). While there, use their interactive map to see if there is a food cooperative in your area.

All true cooperatives operate by adhering to seven internationally recognized principles that define the cooperative business structure. The principles are:

1. Voluntary and Open Membership. Everyone is welcome to become an owner but no one is forced to do so. Cooperatives can not discriminate based on religion, nationality, race, gender, political, sexual preference, etc. They are there for the community & open to all.
   
2. Democratic Member Control. Owners have a voice in what happens at their cooperative. They can vote to elect members of their Board of Directors who are then obligated to the owners to make sure that they are keeping the views and needs of the owners in mind while making all decisions regarding the future of the organization. Its a democratic process where each owner has one vote in the elections. Some cooperatives define ownership by household, meaning that each ownership account has one vote, while others operate under a system where each individual that is an owner has a voice in the election.
   
3. Member Economic Participation. Basically everyone who is a member contributes an equal amount to the cooperative and has some say so (remember the democratic elections) of what happens with the money. No one has controlling shares of the organization or has any more power than another as to what the capitol is used for. Of course many times the squeaky wheels seem to get their way, so at times it may seem like a one owner or group has more influence, but it is the responsibility of each and every owner to make their voices hear by being active in elections and giving feedback.
   
4. Autonomy and Independence. While they may benefit from linking up together and by entering into agreements with other organizations, each cooperative is its own individual business. It must be self sustaining and keep the needs and desires of its owners at the heart of everything that it does. Every community is unique and therefore so is each food cooperative. The members needs are the central focus of the organization and should be at the heart of each decision made regarding the cooperative.
   
5. Education, Training and Information. Due to the focus on community, one of the best things about cooperatives is their focus on education. Unlike most traditional grocers they tend to offer information on their products and about the cooperative structure of business. They are great about training staff to be the best they can at their jobs and typically allow for excellent growth for those who might be less likely to be promoted in the stereotypical corporate environments. They are a great place to develop leadership (an owner can run for a place on the board of directors) and public speaking skills (many offer community centers where people can give lectures on health, local or food related topics). The cooperative by nature seeks to better the community it serves.
   
6. Cooperation among Cooperatives. As discussed previously, working together through groups like the National Cooperative Grocers Association, can benefit everyone. Knowledge shared can improve operations and give support when at times it feels like you are the only one in town dealing with things. Cooperative food markets are very unique places. The business model can be trying at times in dealing with keeping everyone happy from the board of directors, the staff, the owners and the shoppers. It helps to be able to connect with those who have been there and done that. Also in recent years, cooperatives have joined together to help financially fund cooperative start ups or struggling cooperatives while educating the staff and board on best practices of operation.
   
7. Concern for Community. With out the local owners, there would be no need for the cooperative to exist. Cooperatives strive to help their communities become sustainable and thrive. Its a place that not only provides food for the families, but a gathering place where everyone can meet each other. Coops are a place where you can purchase food that was grown right down the street many times. Many food cooperatives have groups or programs that work to benefit the local community. Through efforts such as classes on nutrition in schools, volunteering for local non-profits or sponsoring a community garden, the cooperative is able to enrich the community they are in.

These seven principles can be found on the International Co-operative Alliance website, http://www.ica.coop/coop/principles.html. The explanations of each principle above are my interpretation. See the International Co-operative Alliance's site for the specific agreed upon explanations.

Not only is the ownership program a way that cooperatives support the local economy but also by purchasing local products to sell. The cheese or the apples that you take home may be grown by your neighbor. Bigger, traditional supermarkets tend to sell from producers that can promise large quantities so that they can be sure to stock the shelves of all of their stores. The local cooperative needs only stock its shelves in amounts to meet the needs and wants of its shoppers. They are willing to purchase from the local farmer who may only have 9 watermelons to sell today. The savings are passed on to the consumers when the product goes directly from farm to shelf without having to go across country, with all the gas fill ups that are required to make the trip. The food is fresher with a shorter time from plant to plate. An added advantage is it feels good to support local people and the products they make. There is nothing like a fresh salad made from lettuce grown by someone who you actually have met and who shops where you shop.

Many cooperatives work with the local community in sponsoring or being drop of sites for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. These programs operate by farmers offering subscriptions for a certain number of weeks. After a subscription is purchased, the buyer picks up a box of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc. each week. The variety of what appears in the box each week is determined by what is ready for harvest on the farm that week. The farmers are able to better plan their crops and since they are paid in advance it helps with the cost of growning the crops. Most CSA programs are organic and local. Some farmers even enable buyers to plan ahead for the holidays by offering turkeys that can be purchased or reserved in advance and then grown until they are needed for the Thanksgiving table to accompany the other local vegetables. With the variety that typically comes in the boxes, many find that vegetables they normally would not purchase and did not realize they even liked are surprisingly a new favorite. Without knowing specifically what you are getting ahead of time, there is always a challenge when you open the box. Test your cooking skills by branching out and learning to cook whatever is in the box that week. Try new recipes for old favorites. Just enjoy incredibly fresh goodness from your neighborhood.

Cooperatives are not anything new in the world but to many mainstream consumers the are still new concepts. The are much more than just another grocery store, they are chances to make a difference in and be a part of your local community. In a world where so many products are manufactured or grown overseas or across the country, its nice to know there are neighbors who make products to be proud of, staff who are happy to promote and sell them, and customers who want the items. The cooperative is a chance to bring everyone together to the table. A chance to get back to the community spirit and know your neighbors.