The Food Co-op

The London Co-op Store has been like a second home to me in many ways. I contacted the co-op before we even moved to London knowing that it would be a place to meet some amazing, progressive people in a city known for its conservatism. The managers have been such an important part of my and my kid's lives, literally sharing in our joys and sorrows. A lot of my closest friends are people I meet at the co-op. It is so much more to me than simply a place to shop; it has truly been a place to connect.

I also believe that co-ops can offer a true alternative to global capitalism. Not everyone in the co-op movement agrees with me but I think they are a seed for a different, better kind of society. There is a great book about food justice movements called Edible Action: Food Activism and Alternative Economics by Sally Miller and in this book, she discusses the exciting potential of co-ops to bring about social change. I interviewed her for my thesis because she is involved in the NGO that runs the garden I researched. She is also involved in starting the West End Food Co-op in Parkdale.

The food co-op in London is the place where I buy most of my food. This summer, I hope to get local produce from the CSA, my own garden, and local farmers at the farmer's market and buy all the rest of my food and household products from the food co-op. It is so fulfilling to me to get something as essential to life as food from sources that are community -- and not profit -- oriented.

Here is the food co-op's website: http://www.londonfoodcoop.org/