Looking at our 2022 Food Co-op Impact Report, it’s clear that leaning into cooperation and working together through NCG helps co-ops deliver on our purpose to serve our communities the food they want to buy at the lowest prices possible. Collaboration and innovation brought us to where we are today and they will continue to be key to building a just, equitable, abundant and regenerative food system.
Thank you to the more than 100 co-ops that participated in data collection for the 2022 reporting period! And a friendly reminder that Co+efficient now allows you to enter data for the annual survey at any time during the year — for example, conducting your local producer count during peak local season, or entering utilities data monthly or quarterly, rather than all 12 months at once.
Using the Impact Report for Inspiration and Collaboration
Tools like our impact report can help us focus our attention on what we want to achieve together and track our progress toward those goals. Because the report is based on impact metrics data collected from your co-ops through Co+efficient, as well as co-ops’ collective purchasing power, it gives us a picture of where the “average NCG food co-op” is at with its social and environmental impact. Very few, if any, co-ops’ individual measurements will reflect what’s reported, and that’s OK — if you reported data for the report, you also have the option to assess your own progress in impact areas and make strategic plans to improve. If we all took that extra step in just one impact area per year, we could really see our national average improve!
For example, our collective purchasing power is the engine that drives Co+op Deals, Core Sets, and makes NCG co-ops national leaders in sales of organic, fair trade, B Corp and cooperatively produced products. Products that are also focused on building a more inclusive, just economy and healthier environment. Your co-op could boost participation in promotions for B Corp Month (March) and Organic Month (September) and Co-op Month/Fair Trade Month (October) and reap a triple benefit of increasing your individual sales, our collective sales and the impact that products with those certifications have on our economy and environment.
Our Collective Impact Helps Us Advocate for Food Co-ops
The Food Co-op Impact Report is invaluable to our work on federal policy and helps us communicate to lawmakers in D.C. why supporting food co-ops directly benefits their state or district’s economy, constituents and farmers. This helps us advocate for the things that are important to NCG food co-ops and your customers, including racial equity in our food system, funding and policies that support SNAP and SNAP incentive programs, local agriculture, strong organic standards and the inclusion of organic agriculture in climate change policy. Because of their social and economic benefits and resiliency, cooperative businesses are getting a lot of attention in Congress and that’s likely to increase. Having the data to communicate that impact helps us argue for more funds to support cooperative development and grow the cooperative economy.
NCG also distributes this report to the vendors and business partners we work with on your behalf to secure promotions and exclusives. Our industry is full of companies like ours that measure their success by their social and environmental impact, so enhancing their understanding of our unique value proposition sets us apart from our competitors and incentivizes partnership with us — that means more and better deals for you!
Want to Share Our Collective Impact?
The report is not confidential and you can link to a consumer-friendly format of the report on grocery.coop that is suitable for promoting on social media. If you prefer to post it on your website or send a copy via email, you can also download and distribute a PDF of the report.
