Uncategorized – Neighboring Food Co-op Association

Happy International Year of Co-ops!

*The launch of the 2025 International Year of Co-ops in New Delhi, India*.

At the ICA Global Cooperative Conference in November 2024, the worldwide co-op movement gathered in New Delhi, India, for the official launch of the 2025 International Year of Co-ops. The celebration followed a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on June 19, 2024, sponsored by Mongolia and Kenya, underscoring the vital role of co-ops and credit unions in advancing sustainable development, eradicating poverty, and fostering inclusive economic growth.

The theme of the year, “Co-operatives Build a Better World,” focuses on the enduring global impact of co-ops as essential solutions to today’s global challenges. It highlights their contributions across social, economic, and environmental dimensions, showing how co-operatives are key drivers in advancing the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development before it concludes in 2030. Whether promoting decent work, advancing gender equality, ensuring food security, or fostering climate resilience, co-operatives provide innovative, sustainable solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Through their collective impact, they demonstrate how businesses rooted in shared values can build a better world for all.

At our Annual Meeting in March of 2024, the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) identified as a priority preparing for the Year of Co-ops as a key opportunity to communicate our difference, increase our impact, and continue to advance our vision for a thriving co-operative economy, rooted in a healthy, just, and sustainable food system. As part of our dialog, we asked our members to consider the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and where our food co-ops can work together most effectively to make a difference. While the SDGs part of an integrated agenda for sustainable development, the most compelling objectives for respondents were Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Climate Action (SDG 13), Responsible Consumption & Production (SDG 12), Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions (SDG 16), and Decent Work & Economic Growth (SDG 8).

Over the course of 2025, the NFCA will be highlighting our collective impact on the SDGs as we join with other co-ops and credit unions across the Northeast and around the world to:

Raise Public Awareness. Highlight the contributions of co-operatives to sustainable development.
Promote Growth and Development. Strengthen the ecosystem for the support and establishment of co-ops.
Advocate for Supportive Frameworks. Encourage the creation of enabling legal and policy environments for co-operatives globally.
Inspire Leadership. Foster purposeful leadership and engage youth in the co-operative movement.

The 2025 International Year of Co-operatives is an important opportunity for us to not only communicate our difference, but also to work together to do more, to share ideas and innovations, and to inspire positive change at a critical time. Together, we can show how co-operatives build a better world for everyone.

Thanks to the ICA for content for this article. For more information on the International Year of Co-ops, please visit https://nfca.coop/iyc.

Global Co-ops Conference, Dec. 2024

*Panelists at the Global Co-op Conference discuss “Living Our Co-operative Identity.”*

The 2025 International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) was officially launched at the ICA Global Cooperative Conference and General Assembly, in New Delhi, India — and your Neighboring Food Co-ops were there!

The gathering, organized by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and hosted by IFFCO, attracted delegates from over 100 countries under the theme, “Co-ops Build Prosperity for All,” and focusing on four conference pillars: Reaffirming the Co-operative Identity, Enabling Supportive Policies, Developing Strong Leadership, and Building a Sustainable Future. The dialog included more than 100 speakers, including representatives from the United Nations, government officials, scholars and activists, and co-operators from around the world as the co-operative movement celebrated the launch of the second International Year of Co-ops in 2025.

Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) Executive Director Erbin Crowell was in attendance, representing our member co-ops as well as the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA) and DotCooperation. Crowell also serves on the Co-operative Identity Advisory Group (CIAG), which submitted its recommendations to the ICA General Assembly on “Articulating, Living, Communicating, and Protecting” the Identity after a multiyear, international consultation with the movement. At the Assembly, delegates approved the resolution and called for a Congress to be convened to continue the dialog.

In the context of the conference goal of enabling supportive policies for co-operative development, Crowell was also invited to serve on a panel on “Living our Co-operative Identity,” where he made the case for protecting Co-operative Principles in law. Specifically, he pointed to the importance of ensuring that membership in co-ops continues to be reserved for users of the business — consumers, workers, and producers — as opposed to investors or external organizations, as described in the Identity and international law.

“Organizations live according to the rules and regulations that they are provided, and one of the challenges that we have is the degree to which the Identity is visible and enacted within law,” said Crowell. If co-operative businesses “are not doing what we say we do, if we’re not living by our values, we may squander the trust we have built up over generations.”

The dialog on the importance of protecting the Co-operative Identity in government policy was continued at a meeting of the ICA Co-operative Law Committee, where legal scholars from around the world discussed current legal issues such as the Uniform Limited Cooperative Association Act. Thanks to the work of the ICA, Co-operative Principles are recognized in international law and documents such as the UN International Labor Organization (ILO) Recommendation 193 on the Promotion of Co-operatives.

A high point of the conference was a keynote address by India’s Prime Minister, H.E. Narendra Modi, attended by 3,000 participants from around the world, in which he highlighted the important role co-ops play in his country.

“For India, co-ops are a way of life,” he said. “For the whole world, co-operatives are a business model, but at the same time, co-operation is the basis of our culture. It is a lifestyle.” The Prime Minister described how the partnership between the Government of India and co-ops was key to sustainable growth, and how this growth “should be seen in a human-centric way.”

Prime Minister Modi also thanked the UN for declaring 2025 as the International Year of Co-ops. “In this Year of Co-operatives we will empower this co-operative spirit. We will move forward with this co-operative spirit and we will be empowered, we will be prosperous,” he concluded.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the conference via video message: “Co-operatives like the ones you represent demonstrate the importance of standing together to forge solutions to global challenges,” he said. He also spoke about the crucial role of co-operatives in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in light of the upcoming Second World Summit on Social Development.

Also at the conference, DotCooperation launched its “Cooperative World Map” as part of the effort to increase awareness of the global co-operative movement in the coming year. The map will give co-ops unprecedented visibility on a global scale, showcasing our collective impact and reach, and supporting advocacy and collaboration among co-operatives.

The NFCA’s historic focus on the Co-operative Identity – living, communicating, and protecting our Values and Principles – is particularly relevant to this moment, and we’re looking forward to 2025 and the opportunity presented by the second International Year of Co-ops to continue to work together for a more just, sustainable, and inclusive future.

For more information on the United Nations International Year of Co-ops, please visit: https://nfca.coop/IYC.

Thankful for Co-operation

*Dorchester Food Co-op (MA) staff and board members.*

As we give thanks this holiday season, we especially appreciate our food co-op staff, who are working hard to ensure access to healthy, nourishing food for all of our communities.

As we gather this month, we give thanks to all who work to bring food to our tables, from farms and producers to co-op clerks, cashiers, cooks to our own kitchens and those who prepare our food. Together with our members, directors, and supplier partners, we are building a more resilient and sustainable food system. Because when you shop at your local food co-op this holiday season, you’re getting more than healthy, delicious food and gifts for yourself and your family. You are also helping to…

Strengthen Your Local Community. When you shop at the co-op, more of your money stays in the community, supporting local producers, and building shared wealth. On average, local products account for more than 25% of sales at our member food co-ops (compared to 2-3% in supermarkets). Last year, our customers purchased over $120 million in products from local producers, helping to build local economies.
Support Good Jobs. On average, food co-op staff receive higher wages and more are employed full-time than in supermarkets in our region. Over 60% of our 2,545 employees are also co-op members, sharing in the ownership of their community grocery store.
Build Sustainability. Your purchases support sustainable agriculture, Fair Trade, reduced packaging through bulk buying, renewable energy, and increased efficiency — contributing to a healthier environment.
Grow a More Inclusive Economy. Food co-ops are locally owned and democratically governed by their members — more than 185,000 people like you who live and work in our communities — empowering people to work together to build an economy that works for everyone.

Control of our food system matters and working together our co-ops are already building this system. Based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity, co-operatives offer a different approach to business. All are welcome to shop at your local food co-op, and we invite you to become a member-owner, joining with your neighbors as we work together to build more healthy, just, and sustainable communities.

To find a food co-op near you, please visit: https://nfca.coop/members

The Future is Co-operative!

This October, the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) is joining over 65,000 co-operatives and credit unions across the United States in celebrating Co-op Month, observed nationally since 1964. The theme for 2024, “The Future is Cooperative,” was chosen by the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA) as an opportunity to engage co-op members, customers, employees, and policy makers about what makes co-operative enterprise unique. As businesses that are owned and controlled by the people who use them to meet their shared needs, co-ops offer an alternative vision for a more inclusive economy that puts people and the future of our planet before profit.

Here in the Northeast, the NFCA has been working with our partners at New England Farmers Union and policy makers such as Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH) to raise awareness about the importance of co-operatives to our regional food system. “In New Hampshire and across the country, co-ops are critical for the success of local agriculture,” said Senator Shaheen. “Fueling jobs, supporting our farmers and feeding our families, co-ops are an essential part of our local food systems. During National Co-op Month, we’re proud to celebrate them.”

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) is also helping spread the word NFCA has been working with policy makers such as Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) to help spread the word. “As a member of both a food co-op and an electric co-op, and as a proud member of the Congressional Cooperative Business Caucus, I’m thrilled to celebrate National Co-op Month and recognize the incredible impact co-ops have in Maine and across the country,” said Pingree. “Co-ops have also played a critical role in strengthening our local food systems, increasing access to fresh, locally-produced food.”

For example, a recent survey by the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) found that grocery co-ops across New England and New York State sell more than $121 million in local products annually — or more than 25% of sales on average. Taken together, the NFCA includes more than 40 food co-ops and start-ups that are locally owned by 185,000 members and provide employment for over 2,545 people, more than 60% of whom are also members, sharing in the ownership of their local grocery store. From farmer co-ops to worker co-ops, credit unions to mutual insurance, and housing co-ops to energy co-ops, co-operative businesses thrive across the U.S. economy, where one in three people are members.

“Co-operatives make a big difference in our communities across our region,” said Erbin Crowell, NFCA Executive Director and a member of the Board of Directors of NCBA CLUSA. “But many people are surprised by how our movement and business model is also recognized around the world.”

The United Nations General Assembly recently declared 2025 the second International Year of Co-operatives, acknowledging the contribution of the movement to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the urgent need to build a more inclusive, resilient, and global economy. Around the world, around 1 billion people are co-op members, and 10% of the world’s population is employed by co-operatives. Because they are controlled by the people who use them to meet their needs, co-operatives are rooted in their communities.

“The decision by the General Assembly could not be timelier. The innovative contributions of co-operatives for sustainable development will be crucial for accelerating progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals as we approach 2030,” said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. “The second International Year of Cooperatives will be an opportunity to mobilize all stakeholders to support and expand co-operatives everywhere, strengthening their contributions for a better world.”

Stop in at your local food co-op during Co-op Month to learn more about what makes co-operatives different. And while you’re there, look for the “Go Co-op” signs on the shelves that identify co-op made products. You may be surprised by what you can find, including dairy products from Cabot Creamery Co-op and Organic Valley, fresh produce from Deep Root Organic Co-op, fairly traded coffee from Equal Exchange and Dean’s Beans, La Riojana wines, seeds and bulbs from FEDCO, naturally fermented vegetables from Real Pickles — and many others!

For more information on Co-op Month and to find a food co-op near you, visit https://nfca.coop.

Celebrate Democracy

With National Voter Registration Day coming up in a couple of weeks — and national elections in just a couple of months — Food Co-ops across the Northeast are working together to enliven our democracy.

Food Co-ops are more than just a place to find healthy, local food. They are also community hubs, bringing people together to accomplish greater things than they can alone. As enterprises that are democratically governed by their members — the people who shop and work there — co-ops are uniquely positioned to support participation in our democracy. And with important national, state and local elections coming up in November, the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) is proud to partner with National Voter Registration Day again this year, encouraging co-ops across the Northeast to join national celebrations on September 17.

As campaigns heat up, elections this Fall will determine the outcome of questions big and small: from the role of our federal government in issues of social justice, food systems, and climate change to local issues like buying a new ladder truck for the local fire department. Unfortunately, every year millions of eligible voters are unable to cast a ballot because of frustrating stumbling blocks like missed deadlines, outdated information, changing laws, or other easily fixable paperwork problems. As National Voter Registration Day Partners, food co-ops can make sure that voters and soon-to-be voters know that election 2024 is far bigger than the two names at the top of the ballot and help them participate.

From Urban Greens Co-op Market in Rhode Island to Flatbush Food Co-op in Brooklyn, NY, and Franklin Community Co-op in Massachusetts to Hanover Co-op Food Stores in New Hampshire and Vermont, co-ops across the Northeast are spreading the word in social media and organizing locally, providing information tables for voter registration and election information.

“Co-operatives have a long, non-partisan, tradition of empowering our communities,” said Becca White, Public & Government Affairs Associate at Hanover Co-op Food Stores. “Our co-ops don’t work without our members’ voices, and neither does our greater democracy. We’re excited to provide information and improve access to the vote, the most vital form of citizen participation in our nation.”

Co-ops are participating in National Voter Registration Day by:

Signing up as a National Voter Registration Day Community Partner.
Promoting #NationalVoterRegistrationDay in social media, encouraging people to get out and vote in November.
Including a story in their e-news, reminding people to check their registration status.
Organizing a voter registration table outside .
Inviting local policymakers to speak at your co-op’s annual meeting or other event.

Strengthening our civic democracy is particularly relevant we look toward the International Year of Co-ops in 2025 and efforts by the global co-operative movement to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Agenda by 2030. A plan of action for “people, planet and prosperity,” the agenda includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, which promotes “peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” Working together, co-ops can enliven democracy and help build more healthy, just, and sustainable food system and an economy that works for everyone.

Share this story in social media or in your e-news and add information about what your co-op has planned for Voter Registration Day. For more information and resources, visit https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org.