Co-operatives & Co-operation Workers co-opertives, Organiclea and direct marketing

Workers Co-operatives Worker co-operatives have the objective of creating and maintaining sustainable jobs and generating wealth, in order to improve the quality of life of the worker-members, dignify human work, allow workers’ democratic self-management and promote community and local development. (CICOPA/ICA, 2005.)

Workers co-operative principles Voluntary and open membership Democratic member control Member economic participation Autonomy and independence Education, training and information Co-operation among co-operatives Concern for community

Organiclea - who are they?! Organiclea are a workers co-operative with 15 members, based in East London. We grow and sell fresh, local, organic fruit and veg, and train others to do the same. We see this as a practical step towards creating more socially and environmentally just society.

North East London

What do we do - Production

What do we do - Distribution

What do we do - Training

What do we do - Outreach

What do we do - System Change

History of Organiclea Start small and grow slowly!

What does being a co-op mean?

Direct Marketing "The biggest failing of the organic movement has been its failure to establish substantial alternatives in distribution"

Box Scheme Benefits: Guaranteed weekly income Commitment from consumers Producer has choice over what is harvested and sold each week Disadvantages: Box packing and transport is time consuming Time spend on customer administration and ordering produce.

Pick-up points

Farmers markets Benefits: Offer good opportunities to connect with your customers Good way to recycle and reduce waste in a bigger system (we can sell here extra produce from the box scheme for example. Good way to trail new ideas Low investment capital Flexibility in what you produce and sell Difficulties: Can be a lot of work (harvesting, transporting and selling) for little returns. Risk of waste Depends on location and changeable factors like the weather.

Farm Shops Benefits: Don’t need to travel. Low waste because you can harvest for the needs of the shop Can be integrated with other household or farm activities Possible to stock wide range of goods and offer greater convenience to customers (which can also be a disadvantage!) Difficulties: Can take a lot of time, depending on your model. Time spent managing staff, stock control and administration Can require high investment capital to start.

Restaurants Benefits: Good way to sell small amounts of high value things Difficulties: Transport can be time consuming and costly. Restaurants can be fickle

Mail Order Benefits: A large market can be accessed because there are no geographical restrictions. Low investment capital and overheads. Difficulties: Greater food miles – although you can take advantage of existing distribution systems Success relies on promotion nationwide – which can be expensive Can be packing lots of small orders.

Community Supported agriculture Benefits: Commitment from consumers Guaranteed income Producer has choice over what is harvested and sold each week Disadvantages Need to be productive to keep customers happy. Need to grow a wide range of crops over a long period of time. Transport can be time consuming.

Principes of Organiclea’s Distribution: Salad is the key Close the Circle Community and Co-operation Observe and Evaluate Eggs in Many Baskets Local food System Appropriate technology Diversity in Growing, Simplification at market Reliability Know your limits Pumpkin properganda