Food buying clubs & co-ops
Food buying clubs and co-ops offer group purchase and distribution of selected grocery items, generally at a reduced price. Food cooperatives typically function either as pre-order buying clubs or as retail cooperative food stores. Retail food co-ops are typically worker- or customer-owned businesses that often sell produce grown by local family farms (PolicyLink-HFAP).
What could this strategy improve?
Expected Benefits
Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:
- Reduced food costs
Potential Benefits
Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:
- Increased access to healthy food
- Increased food security
- Reduced emissions
What does the research say about effectiveness? -+
USDA-affiliated experts indicate that buying clubs and co-ops can reduce food costs (Kantor 2001). A number of case studies also suggest that buying clubs and co-ops can have positive effects on food purchases (Little 2010, Carroll 2011, Shuman 2009). Buying clubs and co-ops may increase healthy food access, choices, and food security for low income families (Morales 2014). Overall, however, additional evidence is needed to confirm effects.
Food buying clubs and co-ops may increase availability and consumption of fresh produce, especially seasonal, local produce, which may reduce emissions from fossil fuels used to produce, process, and transport food (Ringling 2020, Stone 2021, CCAFS-Campbell 2012). Buying clubs and co-ops may also reduce the energy intensity of an individual’s diet if more plant-based foods are consumed in place of animal products (Ringling 2020).
Implementation Examples -+
Food buying clubs and co-ops exist throughout the country; the Coop Directory Service has a listing of co-ops and buying clubs in all 50 states (Coop-Directory) and the National Cooperative Grocers Association represents over 200 retail food cooperative stores in 39 states (NCGA-Stores). The Healthy Food Access Portal lists strategies and resources for development of co-ops (PolicyLink-HFAP).
Retail food co-ops can be established to provide a full service grocery store as a community-owned asset in a rural or urban food desert, in addition to offering organic and natural food choices for community members with low incomes; examples include East End Food Co-op in Pittsburgh, PA; Hendersonville Coop in Hendersonville, NC; Mandela Foods in Oakland, CA, and Mariposa Food Cooperative in Philadelphia, PA (CDI-Reyes 2015).
Implementation Resources -+
FCI-Food co-op resources - Food Co-Op Initiative (FCI). New co-ops start here: Resource library.
ISU-Food and sustainability resources - Iowa State University (ISU), Sustainable Food Processing Alliance. Online resources for food and sustainability.
PolicyLink-HFAP - PolicyLink, The Reinvestment Fund (TRF), The Food Trust. Food systems: Healthy food access portal (HFAP).
Citations -+
* Journal subscription may be required for access.
Carroll 2011* - Carroll JD, Demment MM, Stiles SB, et al. Overcoming barriers to vegetable consumption by preschool children: A child care center buying club. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition. 2011;6(2):153-65.
CCAFS-Campbell 2012 - Campbell B. Is eating local good for the climate? Thinking beyond food miles. Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), CGIAR Research Programs. 2012.
CDI-Reyes 2015 - Reyes D. How cooperative grocery stores are bringing food access to low-income neighborhoods. Cooperative Development Institute (CDI); 2015.
Coop-Directory - Coop Directory Service. Coop Directory Service listing.
Kantor 2001* - Kantor LS. Community food security programs improve food access. Food Review. 2001;24(1):20-6.
Little 2010* - Little R, Maye D, Ilbery B. Collective purchase: Moving local and organic foods beyond the niche market. Environment and Planning A. 2010;42(8):1797-813.
Morales 2014 - Morales A, Loker A. Welcome to the club! Rural Cooperatives. 2014;81(1):24-28,38.
NCGA-Stores - National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA). Putting it all together for food co-ops.
PolicyLink-HFAP - PolicyLink, The Reinvestment Fund (TRF), The Food Trust. Food systems: Healthy food access portal (HFAP).
Ringling 2020 - Ringling KM, Marquart LF. Intersection of diet, health, and environment: Land grant universities’ role in creating platforms for sustainable food systems. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2020;4(70).
Shuman 2009 - Shuman M, Barron A, Wasserman W. Community food enterprise: Local success in a global marketplace. Arlington: Wallace Center at Winrock International; 2009.
Stone 2021 - Stone, T., Thompson, J., Rosentrater, K., & Nair, A. (2021). A life cycle assessment approach for vegetables in large-, mid-, and small-scale food systems in the midwest U.S. Sustainability, 13(20).