Forget Trader Joe's. Some observers say Canadian grocery co-ops are a better climate-friendly community alternative to big foreign chains.
News that federal officials eager to lower food prices are now courting foreign grocery chains to set up shop in Canada has left some questioning why the government isn't instead supporting a Canadian alternative: grocery co-operatives, or co-ops.
Unlike traditional grocers, co-ops are owned by community members or workers, a business model that requires either reinvestment of excess profits into the business or redistribution to members. Because each business is relatively small, they also have more freedom to purchase from sustainable producers and can invest more into making their business more sustainable.
Read the rest at Canada's National Observer
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