In the heart of this sprawling metropolis, Cooperation Town is changing how marginalized communities, and cities at large, can access nourishing food. Since 2019, this remarkable constellation of community food co-ops and exchanges has started from a permaculture estate in Kentish Town. By doing so, it encourages solidarity and self-sufficiency rather than charity. Cooperation Town helps connect and support local people to start their own food co-ops. It creates a sense of community and spirit, and it helps members of the community better understand what decisions they need to make for their dietary needs specifically.
Cooperation Town helps CCFC’s food co-ops buy wholesale groceries and obtain surplus food from local businesses. This model leads the way to better food waste reduction. It ensures that members have access to delicious and health-promoting food at up to 75% below retail cost. Members typically pay in between £3 and £6 per week. This extremely valuable contribution means that every household gets more than £40 worth of good food! This coalition’s collective power and cooperative buying provides a much-needed safety net to families as it avoids future economic devastation.
Shiri Shalmy, one of the co-founders of Cooperation Town, understands that grassroots outreach is key to creating not just more co-ops, but stronger co-ops. “Knocking on doors and talking to people is essential when setting up a co-op,” she explains. This practical approach allows all creators to get a sense for what their community needs and to specifically craft their co-op’s offerings to meet that demand.
Cooperation Town has produced a comprehensive online starter pack. It features a detailed proposed agenda for first meetings, templates for co-op members’ weekly shopping lists, and an example of a food co-op’s constitution. This in-depth toolkit addresses key questions and challenges that come up while developing a food co-op. It builds the capacity within communities to make beginning their own co-op a more confident, comfortable process.
Today, over 30 community food co-ops throughout the UK are reaping the rewards of Cooperation Town’s guidance and assistance. These co-ops are based on the principles of choice and dignity, setting them apart from conventional food banks. Shalmy notes, “Not everyone will get everything they want. Most people will get everything they need. The specialist stuff, you go to the shop for.” Providing that flexibility is a way to honor members by allowing them to choose foods that work best for their families in a respectful and autonomous way.
Cooperation Town works with redistribution charities such as the Felix Project. By donating this surplus food, they feed families and strengthen the community initiatives aimed to help them. This collaboration increases access to fresh produce and other everyday grocery items for co-op members. It deepens the pool of talent they are able to draw from.