Who Owns Your Grocery Store? (or The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants)

Imagine a world filled with grocery stores owned by the people most impacted by them — consumers, food makers, and workers. Grocery stores are one of the most influential force shaping the future of food and hold considerable influence on the health of our planet. And yet, in some communities, just one or two grocers with distant head offices are the only food retailers accessible, leaving us with little influence over their critical role. In other communities, no grocery stores can be found.

There are, however, 315 grocery stores across the country that are not owned by a single person nor a privately-held company, these stores are owned by their customers who hold the  store accountable to their needs and values. Another 85 are in various stages of development including one in Hillsboro!

Join us to learn about the important role food co-ops play in helping initiate and steward more sustainable food systems and in democratizing economies. Author Jon Steinman will share his experience of visiting over 130 food co-ops in the span of 6 months and offer up tips for how to motivate your community to begin building your own. 

About the event:
This event is hosted by the Tom McCall Center for Civic Engagement, Center for a Sustainable Society, Department of Environmental Science, Department of Kinesiology, and the Hillsboro Food Co-Op. Vegan snacks will be provided by the Animal Ethics Club. Please join us!

About the speaker:
Jon Steinman is the author of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants (New Society Publishers). Following the book's release in 2019, Steinman completed a 130-stop tour across the U.S. and Canada and was hosted by established food co-ops and 23 in their development stages. In 2021, he published THIS COULD BE OURS – a PHOTO ALBUM to inspire your food co-op dream, and this year he launched the Food Co-op Finder mobile app. Steinman was the writer and host of the radio show, podcast and television series Deconstructing Dinner, and was a board director at the Kootenay Co-op (2006-2016), the largest food co-op in Canada specializing in natural foods, serving as Board President in his final two years. He lives in Nelson, British Columbia.

Note for guests:
This event is open to the public. All guests on Pacific campuses, as well as at university-sponsored events off campus, are expected to be fully vaccinated (including all eligible boosters) or have a valid negative test within 24 hours of arrival. Pacific reserves the right to check vaccination status for guests.