This document summarizes a presentation about reducing barriers to accessing cooperatives (co-ops). It discusses 5 main barriers to co-op access - collaboration, education, affordability, ownership, and infrastructure. It provides case studies of 4 New England food co-ops that have implemented programs to address these barriers, such as discount programs for low-income customers, co-op education courses, and mobile markets. The presentation encourages co-ops to share successful access programs and collaborate to improve healthy food access in their communities.

1. With Access for All:
Reducing Co-op Barriers
Betsy Black & Bonnie Hudspeth
CCMA Conference // June 16, 2012
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2. Overview
• Introductions: CFNE & NFCA
• Context
• Process & Outcomes
• Framework: 5 Barriers to Access
• Case Studies: 4 NE Food Co-ops
• What’s Next?
• Co-operation among Co-ops
• Questions?
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3. • Mission: Advance co-ops & democratically
managed enterprises, w/ preference to those
serving low income communities – lending,
taking investments, regional pool of resources.
• Started by food co-ops – mid-80s
• Non-profit CDFI – US Dep’t Treasury
designation – mission based lending institution
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4. 4

5. Thriving
Vision
Regional
Economy
Focus Collaboration Healthy, Just &
Areas among Sustainable Food
Co-ops System
Network
Strategy Partnerships
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6. VERMONT NEW HAMPSHIRE
• Brattleboro Food Co-op, Brattleboro • Co-op Food Store, Hanover
• Buffalo Mountain Food Co-op, Hardwick • Co-op Food Store, Lebanon
• City Market / Onion River Co-op, Burlington • Great River Co-op, Walpole
• Co-op Food Store, White River Junction • Littleton Food Co-op, Littleton
• Hunger Mountain Food Co-op, Montpelier • Manchester Food Co-op, Manchester
• Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, Middlebury • Monadnock Community Market, Keene
• Plainfield Food Co-op, Plainfield
• Putney Food Co-op, Putney MASSACHUSETTS
• Rutland Area Food Co-op, Rutland • Berkshire Co-op Market, Great Barrington
• South Royalton Food Co-op, South Royalton • Dorchester Community Co-op, Dorchester
• Springfield Food Co-op, Springfield • Green Fields Co-op Market, Greenfield
• Stone Valley Community Market, Poultney • Leverett Village Co-op, Leverett
• Upper Valley Food Co-op, White River Jct. • McCusker's Co-op Market, Shelburne Falls
• Merrimack Valley Food Co-op, Lawrence
CONNECTICUT • Old Creamery Co-op, Cummington
• Elm City Co-op Market, New Haven • River Valley Co-op Market, Northampton
• Fiddleheads Food Co-op, New London • Wild Oats Co-op Market, Williamstown
• Willimantic Food Co-op, Willimantic
RHODE ISLAND
• Urban Greens Food Co-op, Providence 6

7. Our Shared Impact
• A Co-op of 20 food co-ops
and 10 start-up projects
• 90,000 individual members
• 1,400 employees (2010)
– 1,200 in 2007
– VT members among top 25
employers in the state
• Paid $28.6 million in wages…
– Average wage was 18% higher
than the average for food and
beverage industry in same states.
• $200 million revenue (2010)
– $161 million in 2007
• $33 million in local
purchases (2007)
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8. CFNE Impact
• Lend to co-ops, non-profits
and other democratically
owned enterprises
• Loaned $26 million
• 99.2% repayment rate
• 100% repayment rate to
investors
• Created/saved 7,600 jobs
and 4,300 housing units
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9. Our Context:
NE Demographics
• In the US, 23.5 million Americans (including 6.5
million children) live in areas with limited access to
affordable and nutritious food
• NE is doing pretty well around healthy food access,
but there is still a big need
• Poverty in NE: “It’s a Suburban Thing”
• A majority of our members food co-ops are not in
densely-populated cities
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10. The Birth & Growth of the
Co-op Movement
• Rochdale Pioneers
• All about healthy food
access
• New wave of co-ops
opening: What can
they learn re: access?
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11. Co-ops & Resilience
• Democratic ownership & control
• Focus on meeting needs before profit
• Develop local skills & assets
• Ability to assemble limited resources
• Difficult to move or buy-out
• Separate community wealth from markets
• Mobilize stakeholder loyalty
------------------------------------------------------------------
= Leaders in HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS
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12. Co-ops in New England
• 1,400 co-ops across industries
(Food Co-ops, Farmer Co-ops, Credit Unions, Worker
Co-ops, Energy Co-ops, Artisan Co-ops, etc.)
• 5 million memberships
• Employ 22,000 people
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13. Food Co-ops & Healthy Food Access
Process:
• Surveys
• Interviews
Outcomes:
• Framework
• Case Studies
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14. Framework:
Removing 5 Barriers to Access
1. Collaboration with partner/community
organizations
2. Education of individuals
3. Product Affordability
4. Accessible Ownership
5. Infrastructure
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15. 1. Collaboration:
Partner & Community Organizations
• Co-op reaches out to marginalized individuals
and communities through community
organizations
• Co-op offers concrete information & incentives for
partner organizations to promote the co-op to their
members/clients
a) Vouchers distributed through partner agencies: Berkshire Co-op
b) Promote healthy eating with health care providers: Littleton Co-op
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16. 2. Education of Individuals
• Co-op Tour: Berkshire Co-op
Partner agency promotes tours and helps identify
client/members who would most likely be interested
• Courses: Shopping in the co-op on a budget and
in-store cooking classes: Littleton Food Co-op
• Afterschool classes for children: Putney Food Co-op
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17. 3. Product Affordability
Food For All Program
• City Market/Onion River Co-op
• 10% discount for shoppers using WIC/SNAP
Co-op Basics Program
• Franklin Community Co-op
• Lower margins on “basic”
foods; signage
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18. 4. Accessible Ownership
Affordable path to buying a member share
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19. 5. Infrastructure
• Dedicated staff time for access programs
• POS systems capable of tracking data
• Service for non-English speakers
• Transportation to and from the co-op
• Mobile Markets: Workshop @ 3:45pm
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20. Case Studies: 4 NE Food Co-ops
1. City Market
--Food for All
2. Franklin Community Co-op
--Co-op Basics
3. Berkshire Co-op:
--Community Card Program
4. Putney Co-op:
--Marketing, Education & Outreach
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21. What’s Next?
1. Toolbox
2. Technical
Assistance
3. Partnering for success 21

22. Co-operation among Co-ops
• Has your co-op developed any healthy food
access programs you want to share?
• What are the challenges and successes your
co-op has had around healthy food access?
• How can co-ops collaborate with each other to
make this work more successful?
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23. Questions?
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24. Contact Us
Betsy Black, Loan and Outreach Officer
Cooperative Fund of New England
betsy@coopfund.coop // www.coopfund.coop
Bonnie Hudspeth, Outreach Coordinator
Neighboring Food Co-op Association
bonnie@nfca.coop // www.nfca.coop
www.facebook.com/neighboring
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