In 2004, a group of leaders of food co-ops and other associated partner organizations in our region began a dialog on what the future might look like if they worked together in a more deliberate manner. At a subsequent gathering at Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op in Vermont, in 2007, participants at approved the “Middlebury Manifesto,” a document establishing what was then called the Connecticut Valley Neighboring Co-ops with the primary purpose of furthering “the ideals of democracy, cooperation, autonomy and education as enshrined in the International Co-operative Principles.” An overarching goal was to “provide occasions for collective action to build a co-operative economy in our geographic region.”
The Manifesto provided a statement of shared purpose for what would become the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA), a regional secondary co-operative of food co-ops across New England and New York State. The ideals laid out in the document continue to help guide our Vision, Mission, and activities as we work to build a thriving co-operative economy, rooted in a healthy, just, and sustainable food system.
