With Access for All: Reducing Co-op Barriers

Betsy Black & Bonnie Hudspeth

CCMA Conference // June 16, 2012 1

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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• 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

Vision

Focus

Areas

Strategy

Thriving

Regional

Economy

Network

Partnerships

Collaboration

among

Co-ops

Healthy, Just &

Sustainable Food

System

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VERMONT

• Brattleboro Food Co-op, Brattleboro

• Buffalo Mountain Food Co-op, Hardwick

• City Market / Onion River Co-op, Burlington

• Co-op Food Store, White River Junction

• Hunger Mountain Food Co-op, Montpelier

• Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, Middlebury

• Plainfield Food Co-op, Plainfield

• Putney Food Co-op, Putney

• Rutland Area Food Co-op, Rutland

• South Royalton Food Co-op, South Royalton

• Springfield Food Co-op, Springfield

• Stone Valley Community Market, Poultney

• Upper Valley Food Co-op, White River Jct.

CONNECTICUT

• Elm City Co-op Market, New Haven

• Fiddleheads Food Co-op, New London

• Willimantic Food Co-op, Willimantic

NEW HAMPSHIRE

• Co-op Food Store, Hanover

• Co-op Food Store, Lebanon

• Great River Co-op, Walpole

• Littleton Food Co-op, Littleton

• Manchester Food Co-op, Manchester

• Monadnock Community Market, Keene

MASSACHUSETTS

• Berkshire Co-op Market, Great Barrington

• Dorchester Community Co-op, Dorchester

• Green Fields Co-op Market, Greenfield

• Leverett Village Co-op, Leverett

• McCusker's Co-op Market, Shelburne Falls

• Merrimack Valley Food Co-op, Lawrence

• Old Creamery Co-op, Cummington

• River Valley Co-op Market, Northampton

• Wild Oats Co-op Market, Williamstown

RHODE ISLAND

• Urban Greens Food Co-op, Providence 6

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) 7

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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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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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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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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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 12

Food Co-ops & Healthy Food Access

Process:

• Surveys

• Interviews

Outcomes:

• Framework

• Case Studies 13

Framework:

Removing 5 Barriers to Access

1. Collaboration with partner/community

organizations

2. Education of individuals

3. Product Affordability

4. Accessible Ownership

5. Infrastructure 14

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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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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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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4. Accessible Ownership

Affordable path to buying a member share

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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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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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What’s Next?

1. Toolbox

2. Technical

Assistance

3. Partnering for success

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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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Questions?

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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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