On Saturday, July 5, Food Co-ops across the Northeast are joining other co-operatives and credit unions around the world in celebrating International Co-ops Day. This year’s theme highlights the role of co-ops in building a more inclusive and sustainable future for everyone.
Celebrated by the global co-operative movement for over a century and first proclaimed by the United Nations in 1995, International Co-ops Day is commemorated worldwide on the first Saturday of July, coinciding with Independence Day weekend in the U.S. and offering an opportunity to highlight the democratic values at the heart of the co-operative business model.
“Co-ops and credit unions are an integral part of American history, reflecting ideals of democracy, self-help, and self-responsibility,” said Erbin Crowell, Executive Director of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Cooperative Business Association. “And around the world, co-ops enable people to work together to meet their needs and build stronger, more resilient communities.”
The theme for this year’s celebration, Cooperatives: Driving Inclusive and Sustainable Solutions for a Better World, is also a reminder that 2025 is the UN International Year of Cooperatives, highlighting the role of co-ops and credit unions in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A “blueprint for people and planet,” the Agenda includes 17 goals aimed at building a more prosperous, resilient, and equitable future for everyone.
Your local food co-op is an integral part of this effort, enabling people in your community to work together to ensure access to healthy, affordable food, support local producers, and provide good jobs. A recent impact survey by the NFCA estimates that there are about 60 food co-ops in New England and New York State, locally owned by more than 290,000 members, and employing over 3,000 people.
Together, these businesses have an outsized impact on the regional economy, contributing to…
- A More Inclusive Economy. Food co-ops are jointly owned and democratically governed by their members, people like you who shop and work there, rather than investors or corporations.
- Local Food Systems. The NFCA’s impact survey found that on average more than 30% of sales at member food co-ops were local products, contributing to more resilient communities.
- Sustainability. Co-op shoppers support family farming, organic agriculture, reduced packaging, and a more sustainable business model based on meeting people’s needs rather than maximizing profits.
- Food Security. When you choose your co-op, you’re making healthy, affordable food more accessible to everyone in your community, and ensuring reliable markets for local farmers and producers.
- Good Jobs. Food co-ops support good local jobs and purpose-led careers. More than 60% of food co-op staff are also members, sharing in the ownership of their grocery store.
As part of its effort to help spread the word about Co-ops Day and the International Year of Cooperatives, the NFCA worked with our partners at Cabot Creamery Co-op and Organic Valley to distribute materials to all of the food co-ops in the Northeast, including a poster celebrating how “Farmer Co-ops and Food Co-ops Build a Better World, Together,” printed by the co-op printshop Collective Copies. More than 20 marketing and outreach staff also signed up for a peer dialog in June to prepare for the celebration and share ideas, including reaching out to local press, inviting other co-ops and credit unions to have an information table, and conducting membership drives.
“I just want to say thank you for the call,” said Jennifer Wahlquist Coolidge, Ownership & Outreach Coordinator at Blue Hill Co-op in Maine. “I think it really speaks volumes as to why anyone would be a part of this organization because of the support you’re giving us. It’s huge, thank you!”
From farmer co-ops to food co-ops, worker co-ops to credit unions, housing co-ops to mutual insurance, co-operative enterprises strengthen communities, enhance local economies, support social responsibility, and promote sustainable business practices. Co-ops Day is an annual opportunity to celebrate the difference that co-ops and their members make every day.
For more information on Co-ops Day, visit https://nfca.coop/co-opsday.