The Co-op
Principles Song!
Music and Lyrics by Shawn Furst and Mykle Hansen, with animations by Sarah Mirk
See ALL the Co-op Cafe videos.
Read about the Co-op Cafe
in the Columinate Library
What We’ve Been Learning About Creative Destruction
Within our organizations, we spend much time trying to do more and add on to things, in an effort to feel like we’re making progress. We have more money, let’s hire more staff! Not enough people from the neighborhood are shopping, let’s offer a new benefit. We got in trouble for not carrying an East African staple in our grocery store, now we have so many that we are a new competitor to the East African market on the other side of town. We add, add, and add.
Co-op Cafe Supports DEI Work by Weaver Street Market Board
The 2022 series kicked off in May with invigorating conversations around how the cooperative principles could advance our commitment to a more equitable future. Co-op members from across the country joined these discussions and grappled with questions such as: Do we need an 8th cooperative principle aimed at equity and inclusion?
The Co-op Cafe: Looking Back at 2021 and What to Expect in 2022
For nearly a decade, the Columinate Co-op Cafe has been a way for workers, directors, consumer-owners, and leaders in the cooperative movement to gather, connect, learn, and tackle relevant issues. Although the Co-op Cafe looked a bit different in 2021, the event survived and, in some ways, even thrived in the face of adversity.
Co-op Cafe 2022 Videos
The Co-op Principles Song
Produced specifically for this year’s Co-op Cafe series, we take a whimsical journey through the 7 Cooperative Principles and learn about each one along the way. Original music and lyrics by Shawn Furst and Mykle Hansen, with animations by Sarah Mirk.
Interviews on the Cooperative Principles
Selections of interviews with inspiring cooperators.
Food for thought to generate and stimulate your own thinking around each principle.
“What are the strengths of each principle? What are the barriers?”
Introducing the
8th Cooperative Principle
with Doug O’Brien, CEO of NCBA CLUSA
“I am so thankful that I was able to participate in the Co-op Cafe series about an 8th principle. I had an opportunity to meet some great new people and the conversation was awesome! I felt incredibly inspired by the discussions and am looking forward to another round of Cafes.”
Melinda Schab — Moscow Food Co-op, Moscow, ID
Resources on Cooperative Principles
Principle 1: Voluntary & Open Membership
1st Principle – Voluntary and Open Membership
from the ICA Guidance Notes
Study Guide for Cooperative Principles: Fostering Racial and Economic Equity in Cooperatives
Discussing each principle and value through the lens of racial and economic equity will provide a starting point for promoting a more inclusive and effective movement. This is a resource for boards of directors, management teams, and study groups who especially want to explore the impact of dominate white culture on co-ops, and who want to find a way to create a dialogue to begin change. Co-ops offer the opportunity for local ownership and an alternative to exploitive business practices. [...]
Everyone Welcome? Personal Narratives about Race and Food Co-ops
By Jade Barker and Patricia Cumbie We believe that now is a critical time to engage our cooperative community in important conversations about racism and oppression. Everyone Welcome? Personal Narratives about Race and Food Co-ops presents a variety of perspectives on what can be done to make food co-ops more racially inclusive. Fifteen co-operators from a variety of backgrounds — class, gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation — talk about their introduction to co-ops and respond to two questions: how [...]
Co-op Cafe 2022: Interviews on the first 3 Cooperative Principles
Featuring:
- Malik Yakini, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
- John Lacaria, Eastside Food Co-op
- amaha sellassie, Co-op Dayton
- Molly Snell-Larch, Columinate
- Scott Ortega-Nanos, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
- Jo Manning, Filbert Grove ROC
- Emmet Moeller, High Falls Food Co-op
Principle 2: Democratic Member Control
2nd Principle – Democratic Member Control
from the ICA Guidance Notes
Democracy in Cooperatives
By Michael Healy 118 May - June - 2005 Alexis de Tocqueville, in the first half of the 19th century, visited our still-wet-behind-the-ears nation and penned his famous treatise Democracy in America. In this book, de Tocqueville noted that “the American learns to know the laws by participating in the act of legislation; and he takes a lesson in the forms of government from governing. The great work of society is ever going on before his eyes and, as it [...]
Co-op Cafe 2022: Interviews on the first 3 Cooperative Principles
Featuring:
- Malik Yakini, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
- John Lacaria, Eastside Food Co-op
- amaha sellassie, Co-op Dayton
- Molly Snell-Larch, Columinate
- Scott Ortega-Nanos, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
- Jo Manning, Filbert Grove ROC
- Emmet Moeller, High Falls Food Co-op
Principle 3: Member Economic Participation
3rd Principle – Member Economic Participation
from the ICA Guidance Notes
The Real Business of the Co-op
By Peg Nolan
Co-op Cafe 2022: Interviews on the first 3 Cooperative Principles
Featuring:
- Malik Yakini, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
- John Lacaria, Eastside Food Co-op
- amaha sellassie, Co-op Dayton
- Molly Snell-Larch, Columinate
- Scott Ortega-Nanos, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
- Jo Manning, Filbert Grove ROC
- Emmet Moeller, High Falls Food Co-op
Principle 4: Autonomy & Independence
4th Principle – Autonomy & Independence
from the ICA Guidance Notes
Autonomy and Independence: What’s Up with Principle Four?
By Ben Sandel Cooperative principle four: Autonomy and independence. What do you think about it? Or perhaps a better question is—do you ever think about it? In my consulting practice, I sometimes lead activities designed to get people thinking and talking about cooperative values and principles. I’d never accuse my clients of having forgotten a cooperative principle, but based on the lack of interest, perhaps principle four is being taken for granted. The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), which is tasked with stewardship [...]
Co-op Cafe 2022: Interviews on Cooperative Principles 4+5
Featuring:
- Malik Yakini, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
- John Lacaria, Eastside Food Co-op
- amaha sellassie, Co-op Dayton
- Molly Snell-Larch, Columinate
- Scott Ortega-Nanos, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
- Jo Manning, Filbert Grove ROC
- Emmet Moeller, High Falls Food Co-op
- Joanne Todd, Northeast Family Credit Union
Principle 5: Education, Training & Information
5th Principle – Education, Training & Information
from the ICA Guidance Notes
Why education is so important for co-operatives
Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operative. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of co-operation.
Co-op Cafe 2022: Interviews on Cooperative Principles 4+5
Featuring:
- Malik Yakini, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
- John Lacaria, Eastside Food Co-op
- amaha sellassie, Co-op Dayton
- Molly Snell-Larch, Columinate
- Scott Ortega-Nanos, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
- Jo Manning, Filbert Grove ROC
- Emmet Moeller, High Falls Food Co-op
- Joanne Todd, Northeast Family Credit Union
Seven Steps to Re-energize your Cooperative Culture
By Adam Schwartz 166 May-June 2013 "Culture is to an organization what water is to a fish—it is the environment that exists all around us." If I asked you to describe the culture of your food co-op in one word, what would it be? How would you know if others in your organization feel the same way? There has been a good deal of conversation, written literature, and even some organizations creating positions specifically designed to be more proactive in [...]
Using Policy Governance to Improve Board Leadership
By Marilyn Scholl 078 September - October - 1998 Food cooperatives around the country are talking about Policy Governance -- a system of board leadership developed by John Carver. While people are drawn to the simple logic behind Policy Governance, it is quite different from previous board experiences. Governance is an important job and should be done well. As the Food Front Cooperative board states in its policy manual, "Because poor governance costs more than learning to govern well, the [...]
Principle 6: Cooperation among Cooperatives
6th Principle – Cooperation among Cooperatives
from the ICA Guidance Notes
The Spirit of Generosity
By Bill Gessner 178 May-June 2015 The collective progress in collaboration that the food co-op sector has achieved over the past decade has been significant and inspiring. “Cooperation among cooperatives,” through the Cooperative Grocers Associations and other vehicles, is building a strong, powerful momentum. An underlying core value that has supported this collaboration, but has rarely been articulated or recognized, is a strong spirit of generosity. ... The highest level of cooperation is found wherever people work together for the [...]
Co-op Cafe 2022: Interviews on Cooperative Principles 6+7
Featuring:
- Malik Yakini, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
- John Lacaria, Eastside Food Co-op
- amaha sellassie, Co-op Dayton
- Molly Snell-Larch, Columinate
- Scott Ortega-Nanos, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
- Jo Manning, Filbert Grove ROC
- Emmet Moeller, High Falls Food Co-op
- Joanne Todd, Northeast Family Credit Union
- Te’Jal Cartwright, Co-op Dayton
Principle 7: Concern for Community
7th Principle – Concern for Community
from the ICA Guidance Notes
For Food Co-ops, the Future Is Now
Now is the time for food co-ops, food co-op consultants, and funders to move from thoughts and prayers about social and economic inequities to dealing with issues of power. The food co-op community is tasked to do more than build and sustain grocery stores—we need to address social justice and wealth inequality.
Co-op Cafe 2022: Interviews on Cooperative Principles 6+7
Featuring:
- Malik Yakini, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
- John Lacaria, Eastside Food Co-op
- amaha sellassie, Co-op Dayton
- Molly Snell-Larch, Columinate
- Scott Ortega-Nanos, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
- Jo Manning, Filbert Grove ROC
- Emmet Moeller, High Falls Food Co-op
- Joanne Todd, Northeast Family Credit Union
- Te’Jal Cartwright, Co-op Dayton
Choosing the Right Location for your Co-op
Guest Presenter: Rochelle Prunty, GM, River Valley Market, Northampton, MA Why is location so important? What site characteristics should you look for? When do you need a market study? When should you hire a professional to vet your location options? When should a group start looking for a site? (or is this timeline?)
Proposed Principle 8
Doug O’Brien and the Co-op Principles
CEO, NCBA CLUSA
Study Guide for Cooperative Values: Fostering Racial and Economic Equity in Cooperatives
Discussing each principle and value through the lens of racial and economic equity will provide a starting point for promoting a more inclusive and effective movement. This is a resource for boards of directors, management teams, and study groups who especially want to explore the impact of dominate white culture on co-ops, and who want to find a way to create a dialogue to begin change. Co-ops offer the opportunity for local ownership and an alternative to exploitive business practices. [...]
Examining our Cooperative Identity
The cooperative identity unites us to work for the common good. Our values and principles give millions of people control of their own lives, their future, and serve as the strong foundation that sets cooperatives apart from other types of enterprises. How can our business model continue to be relevant in addressing today’s global challenges?
the Co-op Cafe series is made possible through the generous sponsorship of National Co+op Grocers.
Thank you for your support!