Jon Steinman - Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants

Praise for

Grocery Story

A great read! Full of energy and eyes-wide-open hope. In an era of extreme economic concentration, Jon Steinman awakens us to elements of an arising democratic economy, hidden in plain sight. Grocery Story is, above all, an empowering tale we need now more than ever.

Frances Moore Lapp, author, Diet for a Small Planet and Daring Democracy

Wake up folks! Co-ops are cool. They bring power back to conscious citizenship. Co-ops are democracy at work in an age calling out for common sense.

Joel Solomon, co-author, The Clean Money Revolution

Steinman skillfully blends the history of food retailing with contemporary examples to explain how cooperative food stores consistently have served as a principled alternative and moderating influence on corporate consolidation of food retailing in North America.

John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri-Columbia

An important consideration of the impact that can happen when going to the grocery store becomes an activity and not a chore, and when a grocery cart can ultimately become a vehicle for social change.

Melissa Cohen, General Manager, Isla Vista Food Co-op

On par with many of the other food books that have inspired me Diet for a Dead Planet, Food Politics, Slow Money, Stolen Harvest, Fast Food Nation, Omnivores Dilemma, In Defense of Food.

Ari Derfel, General Manager, Kootenay Co-op, past Executive Director, Slow Money, and cofounder, Gather Restaurant

Explores how capitalism distorts the food system from farm to plate. A pleasure to read and is crammed with valuable information, stories, and analysis. If you eat, you should give this book a read.

Tom Webb, author, From Corporate Globalization to Global Co-operation and president, Global Co-operation

An impressive synthesis of critical analysis of systemic societal ills and a very practical how-to manual on how to address them. This is literally the best thing Ive read about cooperatives, monopolization / oligopolization, and the industrial food system in ages.

Christopher DeAngelis, Food Co-op Manager
(formerly Apple Street Market Cooperative, Mariposa Food Co-op)

Presents a clear and engaging historical perspective on the evolution of our food co-ops and illustrates the many benefits that they offer their owners and customers by sharing the stories of co-ops today. Grocery Story should be required reading for anyone helping to organize a new food co-op and everyone who cares at all about their food.

Stuart Reid, Executive Director, Food Co-op Initiative / Past General Manager, Just Food Co-op and Seward Co-op

Steinman shows us we can confront the power of food retailers and create an inclusive, health promoting, and sustainable food system.

Rod MacRae, Associate Professor, York University

Its worth studying the history of how and why food co-ops formed as a model to ensure continuing access and authenticity in an alternative local and organic food supply.

Mark Kastel, Cornucopia Institute

Not just a must-read for advocates and participants of the local food movement, it is a must-implement to pave the way toward a sustainable and just food system for us all.

Rob Greenfield, author, Dude Making a Difference

For the next seven generations

Copyright 2019 by Jon Steinman.

All rights reserved.

Cover design: Jon Steinman/Diane McIntosh.

Cover photo: Shutterstock 183247076

All interior photographs Jon Steinman 2019, unless otherwise noted.

Interior background image MJ Jessen

Printed in Canada. First printing May, 2019. Second printing September, 2019.

This book is intended to be educational and informative. It is not intended to serve as a guide. The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk that may be associated with the application of any of the contents of this book.

Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Grocery Story should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the publishers, please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com

Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:

New Society Publishers

P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada

(250) 247-9737

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

Title: Grocery story : the promise of food co-ops in the age of grocery giants / Jon Steinman.

Names: Steinman, Jon, 1980- author.

Description: Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 2019006871X | Canadiana (ebook) 20190068736 | ISBN 9780865719071

(softcover) | ISBN 9781550927009 (PDF) | ISBN 9781771422963 (EPUB)

Subjects: LCSH: Food cooperativesCanada. | LCSH: Food supplyCanada.

| LCSH: Grocery tradeCanada. | LCSH: Food industry and tradeCanada. | LCSH: FoodSocial aspectsCanada.

Classification: LCC HD3448 .S74 2019 | DDC 334.0971dc23

New Society Publishers mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision.

F OOD SYSTEM: The processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption and disposal of food. It also includes the inputs needed and outputs generated at each of these steps. A food system operates within and is influenced by social, political, economic and environmental contexts. It also requires human resources that provide labor, research and education.

T HE RISE TO PROMINENCE over the past century of the modern supermarket has bestowed humanity with almost miraculous riches. Food is transported to and from every continent some of it crossing oceans in airplanes. Food production technologies have driven down the cost to produce food to levels previously unimaginable enabling the middle class of today to eat like royalty of centuries past. The shelf life of fresh produce, breads, and packaged foods defies basic concepts of food degradation.

By these standards, we live in a golden age of food.

We truly do.

Without question, I could have written a book about the marvels and wonders of the modern grocery store and the food system it has spawned. Readers would be gifted with page upon page of awe and imagination like a journey through Willy Wonkas chocolate factory. It would be a fascinating book a testament to human potential.

This is NOT that book.

This is a book about what weve lost along the way the casualties. Its a book about the people and politics that fought ferociously to defend from the chain grocers a way of life, to protect culture, principles and values, and to preserve the conviviality of human relations on Main Street. Its also about the successes of a wonderful alternative of the people, communities, and their cooperatively owned grocery stores who are today reminding us of what makes us human about the kindness, empathy and celebration that can be found in the seemingly insignificant supermarket. This is a book about hope.