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Collaborative Networks

Collaborative Networks. Building Regional Bridges to a Sustainable Tomorrow. Photo: Kelvy Bird. Neighboring Food Cooperative Association. Neighboring. “A viable neighborhood is a community; and a viable community is made up of neighbors who cherish and protect what we have in common.”

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Collaborative Networks

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  1. Collaborative Networks Building Regional Bridges to a Sustainable Tomorrow Photo: Kelvy Bird Neighboring FoodCooperative Association

  2. Neighboring • “A viable neighborhood is a community;and a viable community is made up ofneighbors who cherish and protectwhat we have in common.” • Wendell Berry

  3. Sponsoring Cooperative Organizations • Cooperative Fund of New England • Funding the co-operative economy since 1975. • NationalCooperative GrocersAssociation • Putting it all together for food co-ops.

  4. New Hampshire Concord Cooperative MarketConcord Hanover Co-op Food Store;Community Food MarketHanover Lebanon Co-op Food StoreLebanon Littleton Food Co-opLittleton (Coming Soon!)‏ Massachusetts Green Fields MarketGreenfield Leverett Village Co-opLeverett McCusker's MarketShelburne Falls River Valley MarketNorthampton Wild Oats Food Co-opWilliamstown Member Food Co-ops • Vermont • Brattleboro Food Co-opBrattleboro • Buffalo Mountain Co-opHardwick • City Market/Onion River Co-opBurlington • Dottie's Natural Foods Discount Brattleboro • Hunger Mountain Food Co-opMontpelier • Middlebury Natural Foods Co-opMiddlebury • Putney Food Co-opPutney • Rutland Natural Food MarketRutland • South Royalton Food Co-opSouth Royalton • Springfield Food Co-opSpringfield • Upper Valley Food Co-opWhite River Junction

  5. Neighboring Food Cooperative Association • 17 food co-ops, owned and democratically governed by over 64,000 members. • NFCA members account for 7% of the population of host counties • Have Sales of $161 million • Purchased over $33 million in local products • …Including $10 million in fresh farm products, $18 million in locally-processed foods, and $5 million in other products. • Employ over 1,240 staff… • Taken together, member food co-ops in VT are one of the top 25 employers in the state. • Paid over $28.6 million in employee wages… • Average wage was 18% higher than the average for other food and beverage stores in the same states. • Supported local government through payment of taxes… • Including $7.3 million in sales, excise and other taxes, $434,000 paid by employees, and $500,000 in property taxes.

  6. Neighboring Food Co-ops & the Regional Economy Local Products & Services Local Employment State & Local Government Community Food Co-ops Co-op Members & Shoppers

  7. Scenario Planning • The Art of the Long View • Peter Schwartz • Diverse, plausible stories • Not about predicting the future • Consider implications of each story

  8. The Regional Economy Circa 2020 What is the future of the regional economy?

  9. Driving Forces • Climate change • Market-based sustainability strategies strongly promoted • Shifts in global resource landscape • Young people passionate about living their values • YouTube generation and democratization of media • Powerful interests inhibit community creativity • Decreasing access to farmland • Grounded hope

  10. Critical Uncertainty How will communities respond?

  11. Two Regional Futures • More of the same, deal with it • We’re still here, the ones we’ve been waiting for

  12. Building Bridges • Not reinventing the wheel • Active collaboration: • Co-op Sector • Regional Sustainability Organizations • Local Food System

  13. Strategic Approach • Decentralization • Import Substitution • Identifying ‘white spaces’ • Relationship-building

  14. Long-term Desired Outcomes Overarching Desired Outcome Entry Points into Regional Economy Primary StrategicGoal Thriving Regional Economy Collaborative Region-wide Community Vibrant, Integrated Co-op Sector Healthy Local Food System

  15. The Regional Food System PROCESSING PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION: MARKETING WASTE & NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT CHANGE AGENT NFCA DISTRIBUTION: TRANSPORTATION CONSUMPTION NFCA Food Co-op Member-owners DISTRIBUTION: SOURCING NFCA Member Food Co-ops Based on Components of a Food System (Nickerson, 2008)

  16. NFCA Role: Change Agent • Regional Need • Communication and Coordination • Channels • Education • Research • Innovation • Investment • Policy

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