Concerned About Business Moving Offshore? Don’t Look for Co-ops There!

By Lyle Ford

There’s a lot of talk these days about businesses moving operations offshore to increase profits. Some argue it helps the economy while others say it hurts. But one thing’s certain. Those who are doing it aren’t likely to be cooperatives. Why? Because as member-controlled enterprises, co-ops are run largely by the people who live and work in the communities they serve. That gives them a different perspective from businesses owned by distant investors.

The nation’s 40,000-plus cooperatives come in all shapes and sizes. They operate in virtually every industry and range in size from small storefronts to Fortune 500 companies.

But they have some things in common. They are owned and democratically controlled by the people who use their services or buy their goods. They are motivated by service to their members, not by profit.

As a result, co-ops are not likely to desert the locations in which their members live and work.

Sierra Vista Natural Foods Cooperative Vice-President Steve Fletcher put it this way: "Community is not just where we work; it’s why we work."

Added Helen Patterson, Sierra Vista Natural Foods Cooperative director, "Cooperatives are motivated to serve their members, not outside investors. Doing that means we must also serve the communities in which our members live, work and play." Beyond generating hundreds of thousand of jobs and billions in income, co-ops support local causes ranging from education and the environment through cash contributions and volunteerism.

Sierra Vista Natural Foods Cooperative members volunteer in a number of other organizations, from Rotary to ViCAP.

Cooperatives around the country share this community commitment. For example:

• A rural electric co-op in South Dakota helped fund an ethanol plant that today adds $50 million to the area economy.
• Four credit unions combined to assist low-income New Yorkers with their tax forms, triggering $2.5 million in tax refunds that otherwise would have gone unclaimed.
• An Arizona food co-op formed a recycling program that now includes approximately 100 businesses and was cited as the best in the state.
• A co-op printer in Massachusetts donates 10 percent of its profits to the community in support of causes including labor and human rights, the environment, child development and the homeless.

At a time of increasing concern about the nation’s economy, co-ops show an uncommon loyalty and commitment to their communities. They are creating jobs, income and opportunity in their hometowns every day.

Sure, investor-owned businesses generate jobs and make charitable contributions. But for co-ops it’s more personal. It’s a critical part of where we work, what we do and why we do it.

And it’s why you’re not likely to see a headline about a co-op moving offshore anytime soon.

How can you help? You can join the Sierra Vista Natural Foods Cooperative to help open the new store by visiting http://www.sierravistamarket.com/ and downloading a membership application or by calling 520-508-7201.

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Lyle Ford is the project manager of the Sierra Vista Natural Foods Cooperative, Inc. and a long-time resident of Sierra Vista.

Guilt-Free Indulgence is What Consumers Want, Says Report

According to a FoodNavigator.com article, snack manufacturers need to develop convenient products that offer a mix of indulgence and health benefits in order to meet changing consumer demands, says a new Datamonitor report. The global survey of 5,000 consumers suggests that 60 percent of European and U.S. consumers had sought convenient and healthy food and drinks in 2006, and more than a third had looked for indulgent snacks more regularly than in previous years. The Datamonitor survey suggested more than 20 percent of consumers in Europe and the U.S. were seeking more healthy snacking options than previously, but they want products that are convenient to their hectic lifestyles. The analyst suggested that consumers are seeking snacks that are healthy, convenient and indulgent, causing difficulty for manufacturers as the term "healthy" is not often linked to convenience or indulgence. Datamonitor said that consumers are more in control and better educated in health issues, and more aware of what they should or should not eat. This has led to an increasing demand for snacks with functional benefits, such as added vitamins or antioxidants, as well as so-called "low and lite" foods.

Americans Have More Confidence in Local Produce

According to an Associated Press article seen in The Boston Globe, Americans feel better about buying food produced in the United States than overseas and believe food grown locally is healthier than food shipped from across the country, a new survey shows. The poll released by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University found that 85 percent of Americans have confidence in the safety of their local and regional food systems. But only 12 percent expressed confidence in the safety of food from anywhere else in the world. It "reconfirms that consumers have more concerns about the global food system than they do about the U.S.," said Rich Pirog, deputy director of the Leopold Center and co-author of a paper about the study's results. Americans remain extremely wary of foreign foods, Pirog said. "That was something that was very apparent. These numbers are very stark," he said. According to the survey, 70 percent of respondents believe that foods produced locally rather than foods that have traveled across the country are healthier, even though there is little evidence to back that up. Pirog said the poll supported other evidence he had seen in recent months that showed consumers' desire for local foods is on the rise. These include a rise in the number of farmers markets, a boom in organic grocery stores and increased media coverage.

Local Food Basket Raffle!

Over $160 worth of natural food items from local farmers and producers in a wonderful African basket. A second smaller basket of natural foods, health and beauty aids, and natural pet food will also be given away. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. Tickets may be purchased at our booth at the Sierra Vista Farmer's Market every Thursday from 2PM to 6PM and at our booth at Art in the Park on October 6th and 7th.

The raffle coincides with October being National Co-op Month. The drawing for the two baskets will take place at the Sierra Vista Co-op Market Wine Dinner Fundraiser at Adobe Southwestern Cuisine on October 29th, 2007.

Adobe Wine Dinner sponsors include: Adobe Southwestern Cuisine, Beatty's Orchard, Dr. Jody Jenkins, Fiore di Capra, Gray's Garden of Eat'n, S&S Tours, and Sierra Vista Area Gardeners Club.

If you would like more information about the raffle, the dinner, or the Sierra Vista Market food co-op, please contact us at info@sierravistamarket.com or call 520-508-7201.

Trend Toward Multicultural Foods

The stepping stones to widespread desires for new multicultural tastes have been well established, and the spread of ethnic foods among the general population has followed both a dining path and a packaged goods route, reports HartBeat from The Hartman Group. In American supermarkets, "specialty food" products such as Greek olives, taco shells, kosher matza and Thai canned curry are no longer isolated in sections unto themselves; instead, they can be found integrated with their commercial counterparts on grocery store shelves. The globalization of food preferences is a trend which is normal to today's youth who speak a food language reminiscent of spice traders from the 18th century. Desires for new tastes are also compounded by what is now everyday exposure, via portals like the Food Network and the Travel channel, to a wide range of cuisines and cultures.

Farmers Market on Thursday!

Sierra Vista Natural Foods Cooperative info booth at the Sierra Vista Farmers Market. Photo by Lyle Ford.

Come on down to the farmers market in Sierra Vista on Thursday from 2 PM to 6 PM and stop by our Sierra Vista Market booth. We have friendly volunteers who staff the booth at the farmers market every Thursday. Learn more about the natural food cooperative store we will be opening soon and how you can help bring healthy natural and organic foods to Sierra Vista. We are all about reducing the carbon footprint, supporting local producers, and helping the community work together to improve everyone's health! See you at the farmers market in Sierra Vista on Thursday!

Board Meeting Tonight!

Join us at the Sierra Vista Natural Foods Cooperative board of directors meeting tonight at 6 PM, Tuesday, September 4, 2007 in Room 201 in the Plaza San Luis office building at the corner of Snyder Blvd and Paseo San Luis.