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30 Years of Building a New Food System: An Interview with Equal Exchange

A little over 30 years ago, Equal Exchange started as a small company with a big mission: to change the food industry from the inside out. They understood that the farmers who put food on our plates were invisible to most consumers, and abused by the corporations who paid them meager amounts for their backbreaking[…]

Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics in the Black Community

Each year, members of the African-American community begin the celebration of the holiday of Kwanzaa on December 26th. Kwanzaa is a cultural and political celebration of the lives of African-Americans and incorporates afro-centric symbols and traditions during a week-long celebration. At the heart of Kwanzaa are seven principles (Nguzo Saba) that are taught and highlighted on[…]

When Workers and Consumers Share Ownership, Everyone Wins

There’s some big news out of Seattle. Not only are two consumer-owned cooperatives in the area merging, they’re also making workers equal owners of their co-op. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal: Seattle’s Central Co-op will become the first grocery store in the country to shift from an entirely member-owned store to what’s called[…]

Here’s How One NYC Neighborhood is Using Cooperation to Overcome Gentrification

New York recently made history by deciding to contribute millions of city funds towards worker cooperative development. And that decision is already having an impact across neighborhoods. Here’s one fascinating story of how our friends at The Working World and the Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation are starting cooperatives to overcome gentrification in Bed-Stuy for[…]