By Amber M. Sallaberry |
“We Own It!” – these 3 little words mean that member-owners of cooperatives around the world are shifting their purchasing power back to their own community and away from national corporations whose main concern is profits for national shareholders.
By supporting local cooperative businesses, people can take active steps to keep resources in their own communities. When a co-op has retained earnings at the end of a fiscal year, the member-owners can choose how to spend that money to benefit their local community. For example, in the winter of 2007 the 30-yr old Olympia (WA) Food Co-op voted to donate over $10,000 of retained earnings to assist local suppliers whose farms had been devastated by the season’s extreme flooding. In the same way, co-ops can also support socially just employment practices, educate consumers about the environmental and social impacts of their choices, and build strong community through equitable, ecologically sustainable living. Members pool their resources to achieve economic results that cannot be accomplished by one person alone.
Cooperatives are voluntary, member-owned and member-governed businesses, that operate for the benefit of its members in accordance with the principles of the International Cooperative Alliance. Regardless of the services provided, a co-op’s mission is to meet its members’ needs.
Most US food co-ops are consumer cooperatives, meaning that the business owners (members) are also the people who shop at the stores. Anyone can become a member by purchasing a membership share that entitles them to one vote within the organization. Members exercise their ownership by (1) patronizing the store and (2) voting in elections. The members elect a board of directors to hire, guide and evaluate the staff to run day-to-day operations. Non-members can also shop at most co-ops and are charged slightly higher prices than members would pay.
Natural and organic food co-ops in the US usually use their profits to subsidize the cost of goods, meaning overall lower in-store prices. Thus eating well becomes more affordable for people from all economic backgrounds.
In most consumer cooperatives, the purchase of memberships helps to create the capital to fund the business. After “joining” the co-op, members continue to support the cause financially by shopping at the business on a regular basis. Some food co-ops also allow member-owners to place special orders for bulk items through their natural and organic goods distributors, an advantage for the business and its members. The Great Basin Community Food Cooperative in Reno offers this benefit to member-owners.
Volunteering your time, energy, and expertise is also a vital and necessary part of cooperative membership. Members can run for a seat on the board of directors; help out on a specialized work committee, do research, host community education and outreach events; or help out at the store by stocking, shelving, cleaning, running the register, etc. Most co-ops give discounts and other advantages to members who donate their time in this way, making good food more financially available to all.
So, what are you waiting for? This is your big chance to be part of the change you wish to see in the world… Seek out and support your local cooperative businesses!
Reference:
www.ica.coop/coop/principles.html
For more info visit the Great Basin Community Food Co-op at www.greatbasinfood.coop, call the store 775-324-6133, or email info@greatbasinfood.coop.
