Food
Food cooperatives are association of people who joined together to create a retail food store selling affordable food products. The first wave of this food movement started in the mid of 19th century in the U.S. and Europe when food prices increased and people started looking for alternative, sustainable food systems.
Tomatoes at the Yauco Cooperative Growers’ Association
Food co-ops are very much different from traditional food retailing. These differences can be observed in the types of food offered in co-ops and those of traditional groceries, as well as the factors that motivate consumers to shop in them. Earlier studies suggest that cooperatives are geared more toward educating consumers about food composition, sources and production, and that consumers joined food co-ops because of lower prices, availability of natural foods and product quality.