The importance of Co-operatives in the Food Sovereignty movement

We live in a world where we have normalised organisation that is driven by profit and run by low wage earners, where employees have no say in how their place of work is run, and are often sidelined and ignored. The impacts this has had on the food system have been huge: small-scale farmers are hardly able to make any decent living and heavily rely on subsidies, while ‘super farms’ use industrialised methods that damage biodiversity, contribute to climate change, and often use questionable animal treatment; huge competition in wholesale has resulted in large supermarkets taking over from independent local shops, and even Amazon now selling groceries delivered to your door, while communities struggle to compete with international brands and companies; and food workers are only taken seriously and paid properly when the effects of a global pandemic highlight their importance in society.

But for years there has been a movement growing behind all this, one that has the power to take down these multi-national, corporatised, money-fuelled companies by offering a simple and inclusive solution: cooperatives.

In the ever-changing climate, the food system will be hit the hardest and will have the most impact globally. In order to become more resilient in the face of this change, we need everyone working together. The trusted model of co-operative working has been hugely beneficial to individuals and communities across the world, and is one of the most important parts of fighting for a food system that benefits everyone, at the cost of nobody.

Join us for our final talk in the Kindling Farm Webinar Series as we hear from workers in co-operatives at each stage of the food system: from farming, to wholesale, to the shop.