Food Co-op Initiative

Food Co-op Initiative is a non-profit foundation that was created to provide resources and support for communities that want to start new food co-ops. We can offer you support, referrals, and access to training material so that you will have the best chance for a creating a successful co-op or buying club.

On this site you will find a library of resources and links that will help you get started. We also highlight our co-op development model, which combines the experience and feedback of consultants, start-up groups, and other co-op leaders. The model is based upon the four cornerstones of vision, talent, capital, and systems that are each within three stages of food co-op development: organizing, feasibility and planning, and finally implementation. The four cornerstones and their three stages comprise a process for developing a cooperative retail food business. This process recognizes the need for support systems along the journey and seeks to provide assistance during the various stages. Food Co-op Initiative believes that using this model will guide your store to a more efficient and successful startup. For a complete description of the model and a development timeline flowchart based on it, go to the Resources section.

We have many resources and links on our website that you can download and use right away. We can also answer your questions and provide basic consultation on the issues you encounter during your development process. Professional consultants may be your best resource for in-depth assistance and more technical needs; we can help find the people to help you.