The South Philly Food Co-op is a consumer cooperative: a purchasing organization owned by and operated for the benefit of the people who use it. Cooperatives around the world are unified by the belief that the process of distributing goods and services shouldn’t be controlled by major corporations with the goal of maximizing profit. Instead, they should be owned, controlled, and directed by the consumer to serve one's economic needs.
All cooperatives (including us!) are guided by the internationally renowned Cooperative Values and Principles.
As an active member of the cooperative community, we are deeply committed to operating according to these 7 tried and true principles:
- Voluntary & Open Membership
- Democratic Member Control
- Member Economic Participation
- Autonomy & Independence
- Education, Training & Information
- Cooperation among Cooperatives
- Concern for Community
Cooperatives also share 10 Values at our roots which support the above principles:
- self-help
- self-responsibility
- democracy
- equality
- equity
- solidarity
- honesty
- openness
- social responsibility
- caring for others
Learn more about the cooperative principles as outlined by the International Co-operative Alliance here.