The document summarizes a presentation given at the NOFA Summer Conference in 2016 about how food co-ops help increase access to healthy, local food. The presentation discussed the problem of food insecurity in New England, and how food co-ops provide a solution through their model of community ownership and democratic control. Examples were given of how co-ops collaborate with partner organizations and implement programs to make healthy food more affordable and accessible for low-income communities. The impact of these efforts in supporting over 1,000 households and local farmers was also highlighted.

1. NOFA
SUMMER
CONFERENCE
2016
Bonnie
Hudspeth,
Neighboring
Food Co-op
Association
Dorian Gregory,
Cooperative
Fund of New
England
COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP:
HOW CO-OPS HELP MAKE
HEALTHY, LOCAL FOOD
MORE ACCESSIBLE
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

2. Bonnie Hudspeth
Neighboring Food Co-op
Association
Dorian Gregory
Cooperative Fund of New
England
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
INTRODUCTIONS

3. ¡ Introductions
¡ Problem: Food Access in New England
¡ Solution: Why Co-ops?
¡ Food Co-ops & Healthy Food Access
¡ Toward Food Security
¡ Impact
¡ What’s Next?
¡ Questions
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
OVERVIEW

4. THE PROBLEM: FOOD ACCESS IN
NEW ENGLAND
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

5. THE PROBLEM: FOOD ACCESS IN
NEW ENGLAND
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

6. ¡ It only takes one emergency to become food insecure
¡ Some households more likely to struggle:
§ Rural households
§ Households with children
§ Households headed by single parents (especially
women)
§ Women living alone
§ Black- and Hispanic-headed households
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
WHO IS FOOD INSECURE?

7. ¡ Low wages & high unemployment
¡ Household financial crisis
¡ Lack of affordable housing
¡ High energy costs
¡ Transportation barriers
¡ Lack of financial flexibility to capitalize on deals
¡ Wide availability of cheap, processed food
¡ Consolidation and relocation of grocery stores
¡ Limited sources of healthy, affordable food
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
WHY ARE PEOPLE FOOD INSECURE?

8. ¡ Community ownership & democratic control
¡ Focus on meeting needs before profit
¡ Develop local skills & assets
¡ Ability to assemble limited resources
¡ Difficult to remove from a community or buy-out
¡ Separate community wealth from markets
¡ Mobilize stakeholder loyalty
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We do: CO-OPS!
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
SO: WHAT IF WE HAD BUSINESSES…?

9. WHAT IS A CO-OP?
A co-operative is:
• an autonomous association of persons united
voluntarily
• to meet their common economic, social, and
cultural needs and aspirations
• through a jointly-owned and democratically-
controlled enterprise
International Co-operative Alliance
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

10. USER FOCUSED
User-Owned: The people who use
the co-op’s services also own it.
User-Controlled: The people who
use the co-op control it on a
democratic basis
(one-member, one-vote).
User-Benefit: The people who use
the co-op receive benefits such as
patronage dividends, improved price,
goods and services & employment
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

11. CO-OPS TODAY
Are more common than we think
• 1 billion members worldwide (1 in 4 in the US)
• More people than own stock in publically traded corporations
• Majority of US farmers are co-op members
Are innovative
• Healthy food, organic agriculture, Fair Trade, re-localization, regional
aggregation & distribution
Are successful
• 30,000 co-ops in all sectors of US economy
Are resilient
• Survived and grew during the global recession
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

12. ¡ Industrial Revolution
¡ Concentration of
economic control,
unemployment, poverty
¡ Rochdale Pioneers:
Economic democracy,
food security
¡ Vision: Co-op Economy
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
LESSONS FROM FOOD CO-OPS HISTORY

13. NOFA Summer Conference 2016
NEIGHBORING FOOD CO-OP ASSOCIATION
• A Co-op of 37 food co-ops and
start-up projects
• 91,200 + memberships
• 1,700+ employees
• VT members among top 25
employers in the state
• Paid $44.5+ million in wages
• $259+ million revenue
• $50 million in local purchases
*2015 NFCA Member Statistics

14. NOFA Summer Conference 2016
COOPERATIVE FUND OF NEW ENGLAND
• Founded in 1975
• Finance co-ops and nonprofits
• Loaned over $30 million
• 99.2% repayment rate
• 100% repayment rate to
investors
• Created/saved 8,415 jobs and
4,462 housing units

15. ¡ NFCA & CFNE identify
opportunity
¡ Food co-ops identify
community need
¡ Survey & Case studies
¡ Response: Partnerships for
program development
¡ Focus: “Food For All” &
“Basics”
¡ NFCA facilitates monthly calls
to support progress
¡ Learning & resources housed
on NFCA’s website
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
COLLABORATION TO ADDRESS A NEED

16. ¡ Increase access to
healthy food and co-op
ownership for low-
income families in New
England.
¡ Facilitate information
sharing among co-ops.
¡ Highlight the role
co-ops play in healthy
food access.
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
FOOD CO-OPS & HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS

17. 1. Collaboration with Partner Organizations
2. Inclusive Marketing
3. Education of Individuals
4. Product Affordability
5. Accessible Ownership
6. Infrastructure
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS PROGRAMS
FRAMEWORK

18. ¡ Involves many stakeholders – farmers, laborers,
producers, distributors, retailers, shoppers, chefs.
¡ Farm to Fork
TOWARD FOOD SECURITY
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

19. ¡ The purely profit-driven
path: Squeeze profits
from low-cost food by
maximizing large-scale
agribusiness and
minimizing nutritional
value of cheaply-
processed foods
¡ The co-op path: Support
local farms to grow
healthy, nutritious food
and support consumers
to get the most nutrition
value from their food
budget.
THE FORK IN THE ROAD:
WHICH PATH DO WE CHOOSE?
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

20. ¡ Establish growing
schedules
¡ Marketing & promoting
their local products
¡ Stable market to depend
on
¡ Educating shoppers about
local
¡ Pay fair prices
SUPPORT OF LOCAL FARMERS
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
Food Co-ops support local farmers by:

21. ¡ Affordability Programs
§ BASICS
§ Food For All
§ After school programs
¡ Membership installment plan
¡ Classes on cooking, food prep,
etc.
¡ Shopping on a Budget, tours of
bulk sections
NOFA Summer Conference 2016
MAKING FOOD & MEMBERSHIP AFFORDABLE

22. NOFA Summer Conference 2016
REACHING PROSPECTIVE SHOPPERS/
MEMBER-OWNERS

23. NOFA Summer Conference 2016
A NEIGHBORING APPROACH

24. NOFA Summer Conference 2016
CO-OPS: CHANGED COMMUNITY PERCEPTION

25. IMPACT
¡ HFA Program helped over 1,000 low-income
households access co-ops’ healthy food
¡ Supported 8 NFCA food co-ops to roll out new FFA
programs (11 NFCA co-ops with FFA programs)
¡ Promotion of affordable product mix through
programs like NCG’s “Co-op Basics” & Natural Value
program with Associated Buyers
¡ Built recognition that food co-ops are valuable
partners in addressing food insecurity
¡ Emphasize the co-op difference in a competitive
environment
¡ Ensured that the Food For All programs comply with
USDA regulations
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

26. WHAT’S NEXT?
¡ Keep learning & collaborating!
¡ Documented models = easier
replication
¡ Resources: Toolkit, audit, promo
materials…
¡ Continue evaluation of programs
¡ Start-ups: want HFA programs
established
¡ Co-op associations facilitate
ongoing learning, collaboration and
partnership
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

27. CO-OPS: MAKING LOCAL, HEALTHY FOOD
MORE ACCESSIBLE
¡ Community ownership & democratic control
¡ Focus on service, meeting needs before profit
¡ Develop local skills & assets
¡ Ability to assemble limited resources
¡ Difficult to remove from a community or buy-out
¡ Anchor community wealth
¡ More sustainable and resilient
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WELL POSITIONED TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

28. YOUR FEEDBACK & QUESTIONS
NOFA Summer Conference 2016

29. WWW.NFCA.COOP/HEALTHYFOODACCESS
Bonnie Hudspeth, NFCA
Bonnie@nfca.coop
www.nfca.coop
Dorian Gregory, CFNE
dorian@coopfund.coop
www.cooperativefund.org
LEARN MORE & CONTACT US
NOFA Summer Conference 2016