- Democratizing the access to agrocological food engages us to go towards more ambitious models, bigger and more complex, that can also be more inclusive.
- and if big can also be beautiful? And if to build a cooperative supermarket represented a part of the solution? Are we able to identify positive aspects for supermarkets and translate them into the logic and values of solidarity economy?
(…) From social and solidarity economy, we can’t resign ourselves to give small answers to big problems or conform ourselves to be only the bad conscience that criticizes and go after the rest of the world.
(..) In Brooklyn, it has been 4 decades since the beginning of a cooperative supermarket, owned by more than 16000 shareholders, that sells ecological products, local, fair trade and a percentage of conventionnal products when the price difference is too big. More than 70 emplyees and 3 hours per month of obligatory work for the cooperative members who obtain prices around 40% cheaper, while maintaining a fair price for the providers. The more profitable supermarket of the city, that makes 10 times per square meter the sale of convetionnal supermarlets. They possess a nursery service, publish their own newspaper to spend time in the large queues, have an important sociocultural offer and have promoted innovative management mecanims to make selforganization possible to thousands of people.
(See the rest of the article in Spanish ¿Y si la alternativa a los supermercados fuesen los supermercados cooperativos?, El Diario.es par José Luis Fernández Casadevante,, 28/11/2017)
To know more, in socioeco.org and its partners :
– L’idéal coopératif dans une organisation contemporaine le cas de la coopérative de La Louve
– Vidéo : Rencontre avec Tom Boothe, fondateur de La Louve – FUTURE – ARTE
– Consommer local : du panier bio au supermarché alternatif ?
– Vidéo : Superquiquin, un supermarché participatif
– Vidéo : Des supermarchés en circuits courts – FUTURE – ARTE
– Film : Food chains
– Vidéo : Park Slope Food Coop
