Worker Cooperatives by Cindy Chen
My first co-op experience was in the small town of Brattleboro, Vermont. The concept was new to me at the time, and it seemed like such a great idea that I wondered why we didn’t have a co-op here in San Diego. I learned soon thereafter that of course we do have a co-op—the Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market, founded in 1971—better known as People’s which is a haven filled with healthy and nourishing food options and products. Also not to be missed is their deli café, an exquisite option for fresh, natural entrées. Even on my no-sugar diet, I was able to find something to eat there. They use plenty of sugar alternatives in their pastries, such as agave and stevia. Interestingly, my discovery of our local co-op didn’t come about until after I had made two journeys: the one to Vermont and back, and then Glasgow, Scotland.
In Glasgow, I was surrounded by an array of natural health choices and shopping options. There were larger local cooperative markets, and a handful of small, well-stocked natural food markets that were more open-air than your typical urban food store. My favorite was called Roots & Fruits, which always had plenty of fresh and organic produce complete with the dirt still packed in and carrots that looked like they were freshly picked that morning. If anything wasn’t organic, the fact that it was local and fresh more than made up for it. In San Diego, we now have our share of local farmers’ markets, offering an alternative to shopping at the large supermarkets, where much of the produce we buy comes from thousands of miles away. However, now even the larger supermarket chains have organic food sections and perhaps even local produce.
One line of products I discovered at Roots & Fruits is from a company called Suma Wholefoods, which is a worker co-op based in the United Kingdom. I wondered, What is a workers’ cooperative? Namely, it is a business that is owned and operated by its workers. There are four kinds of cooperatives, which include: consumer, producer, worker, and purchasing/shared services cooperatives. According to the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, there are two main operating principles that comprise a workers’ co-op: “(1) workers invest in and own the business and (2) decision-making is democratic, generally adhering to the principle of one worker-one vote.” All cooperatives operate within the principles of a democratically controlled business that focuses on its members and the impact on the community-at-large by meeting the need for affordability, quality and ethical business practices, as well as a larger move for sustainability. You may be aware of more and more cooperatives forming around the nation, and within San Diego there is even a cooperative charter school.
Suma is an example of a unique worker cooperative based in the UK, and possibly a model for the formation of similar cooperatives on this side of the pond. Suma is, like all worker cooperatives, collectively owned and managed by its workers. Like People’s, it was also established in the 1970s and concentrates on ethical trading, as well as environmental and social responsibility. Members plant trees in local areas and work to clean up rivers in their area. The company limits energy consumption by improving efficiency, while operating their distribution fleets through biomass fuels and other alternatives such as compressed natural gas (CNG). They also take back cardboard and plastic from their customers and re-use them, as well as recycle. In addition to these operating practices, the company concentrates on sourcing foods and products that benefit the wellbeing and health of its consumers and business partners. It distributes all-vegetarian products and incorporates organic foods whenever it can. They also participate in the fair trade system, and carry plenty of fairly traded goods.
What sets this company apart is the fully democratic system it operates from. Suma not only gives each member a say in the operations and management of the business, as per their workers’ cooperative, but each member/worker is directly involved with and responsible for decisions. There is no chief executive, managing director or company chairman. Each member can cycle through various roles within the business, with an emphasis being on the larger picture. Cooperatives exemplify the larger roles we play and the affects we perpetrate on society and the environment.
Cooperatives also build on the specific skills of each worker, while ensuring the enhancement of multiple skills and the contribution of different perspectives that play into the bigger picture of not only the participants’ lives but, the co-ops’ successes. In theory, these elements contribute to job satisfaction and a people-centered model of business that ties into an understanding and respect for the ripple effect involved between people, business, and environment.
This form of business can be a sustainable and viable model for implementing on a wider scale in all of our communities. But as in all things, it is up to each one of us to live lives that are meaningful and have a positive impact on the world. Hopefully it will be put to the test as more awareness and creation of cooperatives come into place in the future and subsequently, as we rethink the practice of business and the development of our economy.
To find out more about Suma, and to order their products, please visit www.suma.coop. Ocean Beach People’s Co-op can be found online at www.obpeoplesfood.coop. Additional information about cooperatives can be found at www.ncba.coop/abcoop.cfm and fair trade information at www.fairtradefederation.org. Cindy Chen is a writer and traveler. Email her at editor@visionmagazine.com.