The Public Stewardship of Food

Food co-ops de-privatize our grocery stores!

Food co-ops are a form of public ownership of grocery stores.

Opening up the grocery retail space to public ownership through the cooperative model isn’t as ‘alternative’ as it may seem. Let’s not forget the many ways in which public ownership of the goods and services that matter most to people are regularly applied – firefighters, police, garbage and recycling collection, libraries, public swimming pools, public transit, drinking water – all of these are managed by public institutions for the public good. Yet food, surprisingly enough, hasn’t generally fallen into this sphere of ‘need’ and public stewardship. That’s where food co-ops come in! Food co-ops are a unique form of a public institution (and participation in them is entirely voluntary).