This customizable presentation was designed in 2020 by staff of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association to help our startup food co-op members tell the story of food co-op resilience and impact, backed up with impact statistics from last year's collective impact among NFCA food co-ops.
2. Economic
Disruption of local economies.
Depression level unemployment.
Food System
Increased consolidation & concentration
of control.
Family farmers and farm workers at
increased risk.
Social
Most vulnerable impacted most.
Isolation, disconnection,
disempowerment.
LONG TERM IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC
3. What do Food Co-ops bring to
the table?
How is the co-operative
movement particularly
relevant at this moment?
We don’t even have a
grocery store, yet. How do
we make our case?
What is the future we are
trying to build — together?
MAKING OUR CASE IN A NEW CONTEXT
4. How Do Food Co-ops Help Build a Better Future?
Build on Local Skills & Assets
Pool Limited Resources for Scale & Impact
Build an Inclusive Economy through Community Ownership
Focus on Meeting Needs, Rather than Financial Return
Maintain Good, Local Jobs
Grow a Sustainable Food System & Economy
Build Community Infrastructure for the Long-Term
Anchor Wealth in the Community
LET’S REBUILD RESILIENTLY
5. Food Co-op Organizing is
Community Organizing!
Co-ops bring people together to identify
shared needs and create solutions.
They build on local skills and experience,
and strengthen community participation.
Co-op Members do not just share in the
ownership – they are participants in
creating a better future.
More than 12,000 people joined their
local Food Co-ops in 2019, alone!
FOOD CO-OPS BUILD ON
LOCAL SKILLS & ASSETS
Urban Greens Co-op Market, Providence, RI, opened in 2019.
*2019 data based on Neighboring Food Co-op Association member survey.
6. Community Members Pool
Small Amounts of Money…
Average cost of a Member Share is
about $150.
…to Build Community
Infrastructure & Impact!
Average Food Co-op revenue is
almost $12 Million.
And together, our co-ops generate
$347 million in shared revenue.
FOOD CO-OPS POOL LIMITED RESOURCES
TO CREATE ECONOMIC SCALE
Portland Food Co-op, Portland, ME
*2019 data based on Neighboring Food Co-op Association member survey.
7. Your Neighboring Food Co-ops
include 29 Food Co-ops and 10
startups across New England and
New York State!
Locally-owned by 150,000 people like you!
Democratically governed on the basis of
one member, one vote.
60% of Board Members are women and
50% are under 45 (compared to 19% and
3% on S&P 500 Boards).
Co-ops are working together to be more
inclusive of their communities.
*2019 data based on Neighboring Food Co-op Association member survey.
FOOD CO-OPS BUILD
A MORE INCLUSIVE ECONOMY
Leverett Village Food Co-op, Leverett, MA
8. Food Co-ops serve their
Members — the people
who use the business to
meet shared needs!
Resources are reinvested in the community,
rather than in financial returns for investors.
$4.9 million distributed to Members in
discounts and patronage rebates.
$729,000 in additional discounts distributed
to people on limited incomes.
$789,000 in donations to community
organizations.
FOOD CO-OPS FOCUS
ON MEETING MEMBER NEEDS
GreenStar Food Co-op, Ithaca, NY.
*2019 data based on Neighboring Food Co-op Association member survey.
9. Your Neighboring Food
Co-ops employ more
than 2,300 people!
More than 60% of staff are employed
full-time.
Over 65% of employees are also
Members, sharing in the ownership of
their local Food Co-op.
$3 million in employee discounts
distributed to to staff.
FOOD CO-OPS BUILD
GOOD, LOCAL JOBS
Monadnock Food Co-op, Keene, NH
*2019 data based on Neighboring Food Co-op Association member survey.
10. $93+ Million in Local Product Sales
The average Food Co-op purchases from 250
local suppliers with local sales comprising
29% of annual revenue.
$97+ Million in Organic Products
Supporting community health and combating
climate change.
$18 Million in Co-op Products
Working with other co-operatives to build a
more sustainable & inclusive economy.
$14 Million in Fair Trade Products
Supporting community empowerment and
economic justice around the world.
FOOD CO-OPS BUILD A
SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM & ECONOMY
UMass Amherst intern, Dunya Mahmood representing our food co-ops
at the NOFA Summer Conference, Hampshire College
*2019 data based on Neighboring Food Co-op Association member survey.
11. The average Food Co-op
has been in business for
more than 30 years!
10 years or less: 5 Co-ops
10+ years: 24 Food Co-ops
30+ years: 17 Food Co-ops
80+ years: 2 Food Co-ops
FOOD CO-OPS BUILD
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
Celebrating 25 Years of Co-operation — in 1961! — at
Hanover Consumer Co-operative, Hanover, NH.
*2019 data based on Neighboring Food Co-op Association member survey.
12. Food Co-ops are
Community-Owned!
Because they are rooted in the
community, Food Co-ops will not
leave in search of higher profits.
Co-ops are democratically
governed and therefore very
difficult to buy out.
Your local Food Co-op is a
community asset, owned by and
accountable to the community!
*2019 data based on Neighboring Food Co-op Association member survey.
FOOD CO-OPS
ANCHOR WEALTH IN THE COMMUNITY
Urban Greens Co-op Market, Providence, RI.
13. 4,700 members of 9 startups.
More than 600 people joined
our startup co-ops last year.
3 new jobs for startup
project/outreach managers.
1 new food co-op opened in
2019 (Urban Greens Co-op
Market, Providence, RI!).
2 co-ops in negotiations for their
store
*2019 data based on Neighboring Food Co-op Association member survey.
FOOD CO-OP STARTUPS:
ALREADY MAKING AN IMPACT!
NFCA’s Startup Day 2019 in hosted by Monadnock Food Co-op