Food Co-op Initiative's Post

We asked Eric Simpson, a farmer-member, active leader, and board member of the West Georgia Farmer’s Cooperative, what the words "Black Food Co-op Futures" mean to him:

"To me, ‘Black Food Co-op Futures’ speaks to an aim, goal, and accomplishment of community food system ownership. Historically, Black communities here in the United States south rarely have had Black-owned full-service grocery stores since the 1970s. Even fewer co-op owned stores. Therefore, Black Food Co-op Futures is a vision that we can see, build, and experience."

Eric’s cooperative is very unique within the startup food co-op movement! Why? The West Georgia Farmer’s Cooperative is a startup food co-op, in the sense it is working to build its first-ever retail grocery store; but unlike any startup food co-op FCI is aware of anywhere else in the US, it is being started up by a successful farmer’s cooperative founded in 1966 that has over six decades of experience working to rebuild a viable local food system across western Georgia!

A region with a strong history of Black-owned farms, the Co-op is rooted in agriculture, but is branching out in big ways. Their seasoned leadership has led their Co-op to participate in programs like the Justice40 Accelerator and has now won major grants to build their own building on their own land that will house their grocery co-op, a shared commercial kitchen, and a credit union!