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NYC Co-ops, Your Buying Power and Your Values Aligned

We have all heard of food co-ops and thing they are good but do we know why? and what actually is  a food co-op?

Wikipedia says:

“A food cooperative or food co-op is a food distribution outlet organized as a cooperative, rather than a private or public company. Food cooperatives are usually consumer cooperatives, where the decisions regarding the production and distribution of its food are chosen by its members. Like all cooperatives, food cooperatives are often based on the 7 Rochdale Principles, ”

Why do co-ops exist? The purpose of a cooperative is to realize the economic, cultural and social needs of the organization’s members and its surrounding community. Cooperatives often have a strong commitment to their community and a focus on strengthening the community they exist in or serve. When a co-operative does well financially or economically, the community served by the co-op benefits, not just a small group of shareholders.

You can use your buying power to support companies that have committed to this model.

  • Worker co-ops: Worker cooperatives are owned by the people who work for the company. Workers contribute to the co-operative through their labor and the work they do for the organization. Although worker co-ops can be in any industry or sector, many are in the retail and service industries.
  • Producer co-ops: Producer cooperatives are owned by the producers of products who have joined together to market their products better or to streamline the production process. Agriculture cooperatives such as Blue Diamond or Land O’Lakes are examples of producer cooperatives.
  • Consumer co-ops: Consumer co-ops are owned by the customers who then purchase goods and services from the cooperative. Grocery co-ops are a well-known example of consumer cooperatives.
  • Purchasing co-ops: Purchasing co-ops are typically made up of several small businesses who have joined together to improve their purchase power and to get better discounts and offers on products and services.
  • Hybrid co-ops: A hybrid cooperative is a combination of any of the four other types of co-op.

The NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives is dedicated to sharing and cultivating the educational, financial and technical resources of its members and supporting the growth of worker cooperatives for social and economic justice. They offer assistance to existing and new worker cooperatives in all communities within the New York City metropolitan area, with a focus on the development of cooperatives within marginalized communities. You can see a list of NYC Co-ops on their website.

Our clients have worked with construction cooperative New Deal Home Improvement Company.

Check out their work here. 

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