Food Co-Ops: The Benefits Of Food Co-Ops

Reliable access to nutritious foods is a principal concern for most individuals. Still, even in a prosperous country like the United States, a considerable number of citizens don’t consistently have this access. This problem is especially prevalent in lower-income, urban communities like those in the city of Philadelphia where food deserts, defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as areas “vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods,” are particularly common (). So what can be done to address this problem? Besides palliative measures such as food drives and other charitable endeavors, most people are ignorant of methods that can verily combat food insecurity. While a far-reaching solution can probably only be achieved

A misguided but prevalent critique of food co-ops, as reported by Daniel Reyes of the Cooperative Development Institute, is that they most often cater to well-to-do communities that desire high quality, organic, natural foods and other high-end products which have been minimally processed and locally produced. Even though it is true that a considerable number of co-ops are founded and run in upscale communities that demand higher-end groceries and other goods, they are not the only type of co-op that exists (Reyes). In fact, while many co-ops located in affluent areas have supplementary community-outreach programs to help low-income areas, many food co-ops are built solely with the intent to provide healthy groceries to areas with no grocery stores, or food deserts. Examples of these kinds of co-ops include the Mariposa Food Cooperative and Philabudance’s Fare and Square Grocery store in Philadelphia (Reyes). Weavers Way itself functions in a dualistic role, catering to a community not exactly rife with food deserts, but also