The Next Half Century of Co-operation
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SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING “Diverse, Inclusive & Resilient” 18 th March 2017 Greenfield Community College Greenfield, MA NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017 NEIGHBORING FOOD CO-OP ASSOCIATION Everyone is Welcome! Co-ops Celebrate Diversity: Everyone is welcome here. Co-ops Are Inclusive: We are better when we work together. Co-ops Build Community: Join your local food co-op today! Want to know more? Please visit us at www.nfca.coop.
Transcript of The Next Half Century of Co-operation
S I X T H A N N U A L M E E T I N G
“ D i v e r s e , I n c l u s i v e & R e s i l i e n t ”
1 8 t h M a r c h 2 0 1 7
G r e e n f i e l d C o m m u n i t y
C o l l e g e
G r e e n f i e l d , M A
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
NEIGHBORING FOOD CO-OP
ASSOCIATIONEveryone is Welcome!
Co-ops Celebrate Diversity: Everyone is welcome here.
Co-ops Are Inclusive: We are better when we work together.
Co-ops Build Community: Join your local food co-op today!
Want to know more? Please visit us at www.nfca.coop.
Keynote:Cornelius Blanding
THE NEXT HALF CENTURY OF
CO-OPERATION
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
Cornelius Blanding¡Executive Director,
Federation of Southern Co-operatives, Land Assistance Fund
¡Board of Directors, NCBA CLUSA
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER
FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN COOPERATIVES /LAND ASSISTANCE FUND
For 50 years the Federation of Southern Cooperatives has served through co-operative economic development, and retention and advocacy for the development of low income people and their communities.
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN COOPERATIVES /LAND ASSISTANCE FUND
The Federation has maintained a membership of low income grassroots people, organized into cooperatives, and credit unions to make quantitative and qualitative changes in their lives and communities.
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
¡ To develop co-operatives and credit unions as a means for people to enhance the quality of their l ives & improve their communities.
¡ To save, protect, and expand the land holdings of Black family farmers in the South.
¡ To develop, advocate, and support policies to benefit our membership of black & other family farmers & low income rural communities.
FSC MISSION: 3 MAJOR THEMES
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
PROTECTING BLACK OWNED FARMLAND
Priority of preserving land base of Afr ican-American family farmers in the South and helping them to use it in a productive, col laborat ive and sustainable manner.¡ 1920 : Black people owned and
farmed over 15 mi l l ion acres in the South
¡ 1960 : 100,000 Black farmers owning less than 6 mi l l ion acres
¡ 1980 : 57,000 Blacks owning less than 4 mi l l ion acres
¡ 2007 : According to the Agricultural Census, less than 25,000 Black farm famil ies remain with a l i tt le less than 3 mi l l ion acres.
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What If…?¡ Residents of communities
truly owned the land, economic base, and infrastructure of their communities?
¡ What if they owned the farms, the processing facil ities, and the grocery stores?
¡ What if the farms, the processing facil ities, the grocery stores were all connected to each other in a system?
What if is Possible!¡ We’re talking about are co-
operatives . Organizations, businesses, economic bases, infrastructure that are owned by the people that use and benefit from them.
¡ We’re talking about networks: Networks of co-operatives.
¡ We’re talking about co-operation among co-operatives — that sixth principle. A network of co-operatives, all working together.
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THE NEXT HALF CENTURY
WHAT IF…?
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NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
THANK YOU!
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NFCA 6TH ANNUAL MEETING SPONSORS
NFCA 6TH ANNUAL MEETING SPONSORS
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
