NFCA Executive Director Erbin Crowell was keynote presenter at the PVGrows Spring Forum on "Good Food and Good Jobs in the Pioneer Valley" in Holyoke, MA, in April 2014. What are “good food jobs” and what can we do to support their creation? What role can co-operative enterprise play in building more resilient local economies that can sustain good jobs over time?

1. Erbin&Crowell&
Neighboring*
Food*Co.op*
Association*
erbin@nfca.coop*
PVGROWS(SPRING(FORUM:(
THE&HANDS&THAT&
FEED&US&&

2.  Jobs(must(exist(in(order(to(be(“good”…(
 For(jobs(to(exist,(business(must(be(resilient…(
 A(business(is(more(resilient(when(key(
stakeholders(feel(loyalty…(
 Stakeholders(feel(more(loyalty(when(they(have(a(
sense(of(empowerment…(
 Democratic(ownership&and&participation(
strengthens(our(sense(of(empowerment…(
 The(same(can(be(said(for(food&systems,&
communities,&and&economies.(
www.nfca.coop(
SOME(THOUGHTS(ON(GOOD(JOBS(
Erbin(Crowell(

3.  International&Fair&Trade&
 Addressing(inequities(
between(global(North(&(South(
 Domestic&Fair&Trade&
 Many(of(these(relationships(
also(exist(locally(
 CoBoperative&Enterprise&&
 A(democratic(alternative(
relevant(across(the(food(
system(&(economy:(
producers,(workers,(
consumers(
Erbin(Crowell( www.nfca.coop(
THE(CHALLENGE(OF(“FAIR(TRADE”(
Cornelius(Key(and(his(father,((Federation(of(Southern((
CoXoperatives,(Georgia(

4. Erbin(Crowell( www.nfca.coop(
COXOPERATIVE(VALUES(&(GOOD(JOBS(
 SelfXhelp(
 SelfXresponsibility(
 Democracy(
 Equality(
 Equity(and((
 Solidarity&
www.ica.coop(

5. “Studies(on(loyalty(have(found(that(
companies(lose(half&their&customers&in(
five(years,(half&of&their&employees&in(
four(years,(and(half&their&shareholders&
each(year.((This(low(level(of(loyalty(can(
reduce(a(company’s(performance(by(
25%&to&50%&or(even(more.”((
(D.(Côté:(2003)(
Erbin(Crowell( www.nfca.coop(
LOYALTY(&(GOOD(JOBS(

6. “CoXops(are(more(
financially(successful(
than(observers(may(
realize,(but(their(real(
value(comes(from(
their(ability(to(keep(
alive(the(‘social&
contract’&of&
communities.”((
(Lotti:(2006)((
Erbin(Crowell( www.nfca.coop(
EMPOWERMENT(&(GOOD(JOBS(

7.  Participation(
supports(enterprise(
resilience(
 Resilience&sustains&
community&
infrastructure&and&
supports&good&jobs&
over&time&
www.nfca.coop(
RESILIENCE(&(GOOD(JOBS(
Erbin(Crowell(

8. CoXops(“in(their(various(
forms,(promote(the(
fullest&possible&
participation&in(the(
economic(and(social(
development(of(all(
people,(including(
women,(youth,(older(
persons,(persons(with(
disabilities(and(
indigenous(peoples…”(
(United(Nations,(2009)(
www.nfca.coop(
DEMOCRACY(&(GOOD(JOBS(
Erbin(Crowell(

9. www.nfca.coop(
FOOD(COXOPS(&(GOOD(JOBS(
 17&food&coBops,&1,250&jobs&
 VT(coXops(among(top(25(employers(
 Better&wages&
 Average(wage(18%(higher(
 More&fullBtime&jobs&
 Food(coXops(62%(fullXtime(vs.(34%(
 Access&to&benefits&
 Ownership,(discounts,(paid(leave(
 Lower&staff&turnover&
 Food(coXops(36%(vs.(59%(
 More&equitable&pay&ratios&
 Food(coXops(average(1:3(vs.(1:5(
 Longer&tenure&
 Career(ladders,(skill(building(
 Workplace&participation&
 Participatory(and(collective(mgmt((
 Buying&local&
 $33(million(in(local(purchases(
Doug(Hoffer((2008)(
Erbin(Crowell(

10. Domestic&Fair&Trade&Association&Vision:&
The(agriculture(and(economic(system(is(a(
healthy(community...(FamilyXscale(and(
communityXscale(farms(and(businesses(
thrive.((All&people&recognize&the&realities,&
challenges,&and&effects&of&production,&
distribution,&and&labor&and&choose&to&
participate&in&fair&trade.(
http://www.thedfta.org(
( www.nfca.coop(
STAKEHOLDERS(&(GOOD(JOBS(
Erbin(Crowell(

11. Our&Vision&Includes&a&World&Where…&
 Contributions(of(all(workers(and(farmers(are(
valued…(
 Fair(Trade(is(synonymous(with(fair(wages,(fair(
prices,(and(fair(practices…(
 Risks(and(rewards(are(equitable(and(shared,(and(
this(information(is(open(and(available(to(all(
stakeholders…(
 Strong(local(communities(are(the(foundation(of(
society…(
 Power(is(shared;(development(is(communityX
driven(and(cooperative…(
www.nfca.coop(
STAKEHOLDERS(&(GOOD(JOBS(
Erbin(Crowell(

12. www.nfca.coop(
STAKEHOLDERS(&(GOOD(JOBS(
DOMESTIC FAIR TRADE ASSOCIATION MEMBER GROUPS
FARM WORKERS
ORG. MEMBERS
FARMER &
PRODUCER MEMBERS
PROCESSOR &
MARKETER MEMBERS
RETAILER
MEMBERS
CIVIL SOCIETY / NGO
MEMBERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2 SEATS
2 SEATS
2 SEATS 1 AT-LARGE
2 SEATS
2 SEATS
Proposed(board(structure(for(representation(of(all(stakeholder(groups(in(governance.(
(2006)(
Building&stakeholder&participation&into&food&system&dialog.&
Erbin(Crowell(

13. GOOD&
JOBS&
OWNERSHIP(
DEMOCRACY(
EMPOWERMENT(
LOYALTY(
RESILIENCE(
www.nfca.coop(
PVGROWS(&(GOOD(JOBS(
Erbin(Crowell(

14. www.nfca.coop(
THANK(YOU(
Erbin(Crowell(
&
Erbin&Crowell&
Neighboring*Food*Co.op*Association*
erbin@nfca.coop((//((www.nfca.coop(