A description of the structure and the processes of a community of projects in the Food System. We explored the creation of a co-working space to house some of the projects.
3. A โCommunity of Projectsโ:
an ekosystem
A community of projects sharing:
๏ตAn overarching goal, vision or story
๏ตShared space (physical or virtual)
๏ตCommon Infrastructure and Processes
๏ต Technology platform
๏ต Events, gatherings
๏ตWork towards collective resourcing
An organizationโฆ a Communityโฆ a Movement!
4. Why form ekosystems?
๏ตSystemic Issues Need System-Level Solutions โฆ you
canโt do it alone!
๏ตMinimize Redundancies, duplicated efforts and
wasted resourcesย
๏ตBuild community and make friends
๏ตIncrease Collective Impactย
๏ตShifting Consciousness Towards the Collectiveย
๏ตChange the Resource Allocation Paradigm
๏ต Solveย the Early Stage Social Impact Funding
Bottleneck
๏ต Shift from culture of competition to
cooperation
8. Wider community
Ekosystems: the space (the Hub)
is the focus
In Same
Co-Location
Space
Unification and
Convergence are
served by being in
the same physical
location
The Water
cooler effect!
Ekosystem
extends into
the wider
community
13. What is a Co-Operative?
Purpose of Co-Operative: owned and operated by members to
serve the members.
Co-Operative: one member โฆ one vote at AGM
๏ตExamples: producer and consumer co-operatives
Financial Investors: donโt have control
Investment Shares: non โ voting
Board of Directors (primary operational responsibility): no more
than 20% investors
Rights and Obligations: of membership need to be defined
14. What is a Multi-Stakeholder
Co-Operative?
Purpose: to contain a number of different stakeholders
that are a part of an entire System
Different Membership Classes: Farmers, distributors,
grocers/retail, restaurants, composters, urban
agriculture/technology etc
Challenges: balancing the range of different interests
Opportunity: create a structure that establishes a
framework that supports the economic and social
interests of constituents in the system to support their
effort to work in service of the greater good!
15. Evolving the Multi Stakeholder
Co-Operative Modelโฆ
๏ต Traditional Co-Operatives, including multi-stakeholder
co-operatives are created by members to serve the
members
๏ต The evolution of the co-operative model will be created
by members to serve the members as well as the
Commons!
This structure when formalized will be christened an
ekosystem!
So you can understand an ekosystem as an evolution in
organizational structureโฆ. Corporations, societies, co-
operativesโฆ. And now ekosystems!
16. Potential Membership Classes:
financial classification
๏ต Late Stage: Mature, financially profitable
organizations that are financeable alone
๏ต Mid Stage: Revenue generating, post proof of concept,
still evolving business model and therefore having
difficulties sourcing profit motivated investment capital
๏ต Germination Stage: Pre Proof of concept, early stage
projects, some of which have modest (or no) long term
objectives of making money
17. Potential Membership
Classes: food system
๏ต Farmers/Growers
๏ต Urban Farmers
๏ต Wholesalers and Distributors
๏ต Transport and logistics
๏ต Retail (restaurants, grocers etc)
๏ต Composting
18. Determining Membership
Classes
๏ต Keep it simple
๏ต What tensions are inherent in the system?
A simple exampleโฆ two membership classes
๏ต Producers
๏ต Consumers
๏ต Germination Stage Projects
19. The coFood Value Proposition
๏ต Access to Food Hub and Convergence Space
๏ต Deepened relationships with other food projects
๏ต Discounted access to events, workshops etc
๏ต Access to Technology Platform
๏ต Discounted access to aggregated services
๏ต information management, such as accounting and payroll
๏ต insurance, such as extended health and liability insurance
๏ต Staff recruitment and other human resources support
๏ต legal assistance
๏ต advocacy
๏ต professional development and training
๏ต bulk purchasing discounts
20. coFood Business Model
๏ต Memberships
๏ต Financial Benefits from Tech Supply/Demand
Aggregation platform
21. Investing in Co-Ops
๏ต Investment shares are non-voting
๏ต Financial profit is paid on a patronage basisโฆ based on
business done within the co-op
๏ต Equity generally redeemable at par value, so no
significant capital appreciation
๏ต Debt financing possible
22. Next Steps
๏ต Develop phase I strategic plan and budget that speaks
to Vancityโs three priorities
๏ต Co-operative principles and practices
๏ต Environmental sustainability
๏ต Social justice and financial inclusion
๏ต Explore Vancouver Foundation Field of Interest Grant
Editor's Notes
Take a look around the room at all the people and projectsโฆ of varying stages of developmentโฆ. Different structures. We are all a communityโฆ the BIL Community! I am sure you have met a few people you are aligned withโฆ
Two Points
Unity in Difference
Lack of Resources for early stage projects
A late stage, financial stable anchor tenant secures the space and provides for continuity of goals and vision. They attract mid and early stage social ventures that donโt have the capital to join a space, or have some other contribution other than capital.
Because thereโs a unity of vision or a unity of purpose, trust is easy to build, cooperation is a natural outcome.
Taking the internal project flows and making the barriers between projects permeable. A balance between autonomy and cooperation.