Julie Smith Georgia Machell Martin Caraher Centre for Food Policy, City University, London

1. What makes this food co-op a co-operative?’ -‘We just are’:Findings from a three-year evaluation of food co-ops in England, 2009-2012 Julie Smith Georgia Machell Martin Caraher Centre for Food Policy, City University, London

2. Overview of presentation • Project background • Policy context • Methodology • Findings • Case studies • Emerging issues

3. Project background

4. Policy context

5. Methodology • Phase 1: Visit 3 co-ops in 3 areas – London, Somerset and the North East • Phase 2: Visit 2 co-ops in each of the 9 English regions • Look at a range of co-ops • Develop case studies on co-ops and look specifically at the perceived impact • Use of a range of methods: observation, interviews, reports, website data, graffiti walls and surveys.

6. Key Findings • 80% (n=18) of food ‘co-ops’ visited not food co-ops in traditional sense • Spectrum of food co-op types • 83% (n=18)of food co-ops that were evaluated were reliant on volunteers and funding • long-standing food co-ops (that operated formal co-operative structures) had taken steps to become financially secure, they developed business plans and used a mixture of paid workers and volunteers.

7. Types of food co-ops (n=18)

8. Organisational Structures (n=18)

9. Community led

10. Health initiative

11. Bringing it all to life – community led Case study 1 • Region: Yorkshire and Humberside • Type of Co-op: Stall • Outlet: Church • Focus: Working with young people in the community • Organiser: Church youth club

12. Bringing it all to life – health initiative • Region: London • Type of Co-op: Weekly fruit and vegetable stall • Outlet: at a community centre (part of wider NHS project) • Date established: 2005 • Focus: Promoting 5-A-Day • Organiser: NHS

13. Co-ops and food • ‘like once they (the wholesaler) put in courgettes and aubergines – people don’t want it. They just want their staples - which are potatoes, onions, carrots, cauliflowers – where the prices are lower’. • ‘yes, we go for local if we can but here we are deprived, and so price matters.’

14. Why are we a co-op? “We don’t have a legal status as a co-operative but we rely on people and that, I have to say, is the key stress point for us” “We co-operate with our supplier” “We just are”

15. Emerging issues

16. Full evaluation report available from: Julie.Smith.1@city.ac.uk