Building a Cooperative Economy
Equal Exchange wants us to know, that after nearly 25 years, they haven’t sold out. Scott Patterson of Equal Exchange says in “Building a Cooperative Economny Together”
“…the one member, one vote and profit sharing backbone of co-ops protects against greed and promotes ethical entrepreneurialism better than any business model I have seen to date.”
Continuing in their cooperative spirit Equal Exchange, a cooperatively owned business, decided to take on the daunting big-wig-dominated banana industry. In the process their co-op highlights the values and meaning of what it is to be a cooperative business:
“Together, both with international and local farmers, our collective work is one of creating food chains that stand for our values. The beauty of co-ops and these supply chains is that they are transparent; you can get to know something real about the 80 farmers who are growing your bananas. And with shared ownership and decision making, when you as a shopper support cooperatively owned companies on the shelves of your store, you are sharing your power and creating authentic change.”
Patterson goes on to say that we shouldn’t only be proud of labeling standards, but let’s be proud of the business model itself. Our cooperatives should make us stand tall. ,
“I ask for your amazing, continued loyalty to your co-op and to Equal Exchange, and that you join us in holding our collective feet to the fire. Remember, your grocery store has been an innovator and is able to carry the products you want because it is a co-op! As you shop the aisles of your natural foods store and think about your routine purchases, why not keep asking for more companies that are cooperatively owned – and in this way remove the incentive for companies to sell out.”
We love our cooperative business model too and are proud of our co-op members and shoppers.
