www.bioscoop.gr coopbios@gmail.com tel: +30 2310 811918 Cooperatives, innovation, sustainability: The case of Bios Coop in a dynamic process of economic evolution Kostas Nikolaou www.bioscoop.gr coopbios@gmail.com tel: +30 2310 811918

Establishment of the Cooperative PRO.S.K.AL.O. (Cooperation Initiative for Social and Solidarity Economy, www.proskalo.net) (late 2011) Movement of market without mediators Environmental Education and Scientific Organizations Citizens’ Initiatives, Water Movement Ecology Initiatives, Environmental Teams Trade and labor Unions e.t.c.

Opening the grocery Our first non-for-profit cooperative grocery opened in 30.11.2013 at K. Karamanli 42 st. (Eukleidis area), in Thessaloniki. 150€ x 300 members = 45.000€ (no loans, no checks) Today: > 410 members

«We take our food in our hands!» Our main target: «We take our food in our hands!» 4

Four pillars of our Cooperative

1. Direct democracy – active participation

One person – one vote = All members of the Cooperative have the right to participate in the General Assembly with only one vote, no matter how many shares they have. Cooperative-democratic principle: «one person- one vote»

Members control and administrate The members of the Cooperative are responsible for its administration. The Management Board (M.B.) and the Supervising Board are elected and recalled by the General Assembly, which is the supreme instrument of the Cooperative and decides for all important issues. Continuous rotation of positions and roles *18 Open Committees and Working Groups (quality control, education, research, evaluation, operational plan etc)

Weekly meetings – Open M.B. General Assembly every 3 months: Report and programming of future actions. Open meetings of the M.B. every week and co-decision of all issues with all members participating: «Wednesday’s assembly»

2. Education

Education and training The members and the workers-members are trained on the cooperative values and the values of Direct Democracy and Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). 11

People’s University of Social Solidarity Economy Created by PRO.S.K.AL.O. in Thessaloniki in 2013. Addressed to the people involved in all kinds of SSE collectives, but also to any interested citizen. Aims to promote education, training, retraining and information in the ideas, values and principles of SSE, direct democracy and cooperatives. Based on the dual nature of cooperatives: Social - Economic and consequently the dual nature of cooperative education: Ideological – Financial/Technical. 27 lectures 9 workshops Attended by 350 persons (1/4 “Bios Coop” members) Videotheque: more than 7.300 views www.univsse.gr

3. High quality products

High quality products We have made and continue to do extensive control of all products in order to avoid the ones which contain forbidden chemicals or microorganisms, genetically modified organisms, and unsafe substances for the human body and the environment.  open committee for quality control Our ‘tools’: -ΕFΕΤ -W.H.O. -Independent Institutions -University research -Certifications -Ingredients

Laboratory control in collaboration with University of Ioannina The Environmental Laboratory of the University of Ioannina Chemistry Department contributes voluntarily to the food samples analysis for the control of pesticide residues and other relevant biocides

The 100 basic products of the shopping basket – our identity Without mediators = better prices

Highlighting cooperative and local products - many cooperative and Greek products, and mainly local. - not due to localism, but: a) due to their low ecological footprint and b) in order to control and strengthen eco-friendly ways of production

International Hellenic University Research Project “The top 10 products in sales were cucumbers, tomatoes, bottled water, milk, bananas, cheese, melons, lemons and strawberries, generating the 14,99% of the overall sales. As in most of the top 10 products, 90% of the products were locally produced agri-food. Through the promotion of local food and its support to local producers, Bios Coop reduces its CO2 ecological footprint since it is reducing the emissions of CO2 during the transportation of products.”

IHU (2) “As illustrated in this project, due to Bios Coop business organization and economic orientation, which is guided by the economic democracy and social solidarity, the cooperative can contribute in a significant level to social integration and solidarity while can generate regional employment, since it is distributing mostly locally produced agri-food as expressed by the data analysis of market performance”

4. A new social narrative

We cover our needs - we don’t speculate Bios Coop’s aim is not the profit, but to cover the basic needs of its members and customers. Prices are the same for all, members or not.

Returning our surplus… to those who produced it All surpluses in the end of the year are returned to those who have produced them: α. Workers β. Members of the cooperative γ. Local society No one can benefit at the expense others

No charity or philanthropy. Social solidarity! We act for the consumers-producers’ meeting, away from charity logic where the strong rich from above helps the weak poor. We build horizontally, equally and bottom-up, a new world of social and solidarity economy.

Dissemination Mass media (TV and radio channels, newspapers etc) - more than 200 presentations in 165 European and Greek media Website: - more than 200 posts - more than 120.000 visits Fb page: - more than 5.100 connected people we move on...

Technological Educational Institution of Thessaloniki Research Project Profile of Bios Coop customers by their monthly family income: 56% : < 1.000 euros 34% : 1.000 - 1.500 euros 10% : > 1.500 euros

The economical results

Sales (excluding VAT) 2014

Sales (excluding VAT) during the first 19 months

Sales (excluding VAT) 2014 vs 2015

Cooperative constantly open to new members In order to become a member: Accept our Articles of Association Complete the member form with the necessary data. Pay the cooperative share fee which is 150€.

Thank you very much! site: www.bioscoop.gr Fb: Bios Coop Κοινωνικός Καταναλωτικός Συνεταιρισμός Θεσσαλονίκης Email: coopbios@gmail.com tel: +30-2310-811918 Kon. Karamanli 42, Thessaloniki