Collaborative Networks
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Collaborative Networks Building Regional Bridges to a Sustainable Tomorrow Neighboring Food Cooperative Association Photo: Kelvy Bird
description
Collaborative Networks. Building Regional Bridges to a Sustainable Tomorrow. Photo: Kelvy Bird. Neighboring Food Cooperative Association. Neighboring. “A viable neighborhood is a community; and a viable community is made up of neighbors who cherish and protect what we have in common.” - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Collaborative Networks
Collaborative NetworksBuilding Regional Bridges to a
Sustainable Tomorrow
Neighboring FoodCooperative Association
Photo: K
elvy Bird
Neighboring
“A viable neighborhood is a community;and a viable community is made up ofneighbors who cherish and protectwhat we have in common.” – Wendell Berry
NationalCooperative GrocersAssociation
• Putting it all together for food co-ops.
Cooperative Fund of New England
• Funding the co-operative economy since 1975.
Sponsoring Cooperative Organizations
Member Food Co-opsVermont
• Brattleboro Food Co-opBrattleboro
• Buffalo Mountain Co-opHardwick
• City Market/Onion River Co-opBurlington
• Dottie's Natural Foods DiscountBrattleboro
• Hunger Mountain Food Co-opMontpelier
• Middlebury Natural Foods Co-opMiddlebury
• Putney Food Co-opPutney
• Rutland Natural Food MarketRutland
• South Royalton Food Co-opSouth Royalton
• Springfield Food Co-opSpringfield
• Upper Valley Food Co-opWhite River Junction
New Hampshire• Concord Cooperative Market
Concord• Hanover Co-op Food Store;
Community Food MarketHanover
• Lebanon Co-op Food StoreLebanon
• Littleton Food Co-opLittleton (Coming Soon!)
Massachusetts• Green Fields Market
Greenfield• Leverett Village Co-op
Leverett• McCusker's Market
Shelburne Falls• River Valley Market
Northampton• Wild Oats Food Co-op
Williamstown
• 17 food co-ops, owned and democratically governed by over 64,000 members.
• NFCA members account for 7% of the population of host counties
• Have Sales of $161 million
• Purchased over $33 million in local products•…Including $10 million in fresh farm products, $18 million in locally-processed foods, and $5 million in other products.
• Employ over 1,240 staff…• Taken together, member food co-ops in VT are one of the top 25 employers in the state.
• Paid over $28.6 million in employee wages…• Average wage was 18% higher than the average for other food and beverage stores in the same states.
• Supported local government through payment of taxes…
• Including $7.3 million in sales, excise and other taxes, $434,000 paid by employees, and $500,000 in property taxes.
Neighboring Food Cooperative Association
Local Local EmploymentEmployment
State & Local State & Local GovernmentGovernment
Co-op Members & ShoppersCo-op Members & Shoppers
Community Food Co-opsCommunity Food Co-ops
Local ProductsLocal Products& Services& Services
Neighboring Food Co-ops & the Regional Economy
Scenario Planning
• The Art of the Long View– Peter Schwartz
• Diverse, plausible stories
• Not about predicting the future
• Consider implications of each story
The Regional Economy Circa 2020
What is the future of the regional economy?
• Climate change
• Market-based sustainability strategies strongly promoted
• Shifts in global resource landscape
• Young people passionate about living their values
• YouTube generation and democratization of media
• Powerful interests inhibit community creativity
• Decreasing access to farmland
• Grounded hope
Driving Forces
Critical Uncertainty
How will communities respond?
Two Regional Futures
• More of the same, deal with it
• We’re still here, the ones we’ve been waiting for
Building Bridges
• Not reinventing the wheel
• Active collaboration:• Co-op Sector• Regional Sustainability Organizations• Local Food System
Strategic Approach
• Decentralization• Import Substitution• Identifying ‘white spaces’• Relationship-building
Long-termDesired Outcomes
Overarching Desired Outcome
Entry Points into Regional Economy
Primary StrategicGoal
Thriving Regional Economy
Collaborative Region-wide Community
Vibrant, Integrated
Co-op Sector
Healthy Local Food
System
PROCESSING
DISTRIBUTION:MARKETING
DISTRIBUTION:TRANSPORTATION
DISTRIBUTION:SOURCING
NFCAMember
Food Co-ops
CONSUMPTIONNFCA
Food Co-op Member-owners
PRODUCTION
WASTE & NUTRIENTMANAGEMENT
CHANGE AGENTNFCA
Based on Components of a Food System
(Nickerson, 2008)
The Regional Food System
NFCA Role: Change Agent
• Regional Need• Communication and Coordination
• Channels• Education• Research• Innovation• Investment• Policy
