What is a food co-op?
Cooperatives are special forms of business ownership in which the receivers of a good or service own and control the organization with no one profiting at the expense of others.

How did they get started?
Most people think of co-operatives as a new idea, however, the first one began in England in 1844 by flannel weavers. The principles and practices known as the Rochdale Principles established by the weavers are still in place today.

Two of the most important co-op waves started in the 1930’s during the Depression and in the 1960’s during social unrest. During the 30’s, as many as 3,000 store fronts and buying clubs existed in California alone, but few of these remain today. Those that still exist are know as ‘old wave’ co-ops and tend to be larger and more business-like. Co-ops that cropped up in the 60’s tended to adopt strong political and social positions on issues such as whole and natural foods. These ‘new wave’ co-ops were not as business oriented as their parent co-ops of the 30’s. In the 1970’s a ‘third wave’ was born – a uniting of the two co-ops. They maintained many social and political aims of the new wave, but accepted the business orientation as crucial to their survival.