“I’m all lost in the supermarket. I can no longer shop happily.” – The Clash

Your local big-box grocery store may be spotless, easily accessible, and have cute bag boys – but can you find actual food there? I try to shop smart: I check labels and read the ingredients, but frankly, I don’t have the chemistry degree required to identify saccharin and how many years it will take off my life. And what the heck is propyl gallate and acesulfame-K? They sound suspiciously like a substance that could take down a superhero.

No fear, citizens. There are other options. In 1975, the East End Food Co-op (EEFC) opened its doors with a mandate to provide local, organic (and pronounceable!) foods at reasonable prices. Hallelujah! The store originally developed out of an existing network of buying clubs and thrived. To this day, it is still collectively owned by its members. The concept is simple: real, fresh food at a reduced cost.

Image courtesy of the East End Food Co-op

The EEFC’s results are inspiring. Their continued support of local farmers and producers helps reduce greenhouse gases, protects nearby farmlands, and boosts the local economy. Additionally, the produce sold at the Co-op come from organic and biodynamic farms. (Don’t know what a biodynamic farm is? I didn’t. Check out this site for more info!) And just to up the awesome quotient a little more, the East End Food Co-op recently won Fair Trade Vancouver’s award for Best Grocery Store, based on the amount of Fair Trade products sold annually. Congrats guys! (Fair Trade Vancouver seeks to “increase awareness, availability, and sales of Fair Trade products in Metro Vancouver to alleviate poverty in developing countries.)

The store’s commitment is this standard is pretty obvious. They often promote local companies like the Shuswap Coffee Company and Queen Charlotte Seafood, who both endorse local, sustainable, and organic foods. Most recently, an EEFC staff member, Yarrow Koontz, travelled to Peru with Discovery Organics to certify the bananas the Co-op sells, as well as to help organize the local farmers. (Did you know that bananas are one of those important foods to eat organic? A lot of pesticides are used on non-organic bananas and the environmental and social costs of their production is pretty steep!)

The Co-op is a superb example of how individuals can make alternative choices and work together to share resources while benefitting their community. Together, the EEFC wholeheartedly endorses the Co-operate Identity as established by the International Co-operative Alliance. How does this break down? It means that the EEFC endorses voluntary and open membership, requires member economic participation, supports their local community, and is subject to democratic member control. The East End Food Co-op is “Vancouver’s only customer-owned grocery store.”

The good karma doesn’t end there… The EEFC values creating a “workplace marked by respect, dignity, fairness, and co-operation” for its staff. In turn, these staff members make a significant effort to support community events and organizations related to food education, enjoyment, and sustainability. Since most of the EEFC’s customers arrive by foot or bike, the Co-op has recently joined the “Business for Bikes” program as a bike friendly business.

Image courtesy of the East End Food Co-op

The East End Food Co-op is open to all shoppers, but membership does have its perks. For only twenty dollars, members receive a ten percent discount on purchases, can order in bulk, and attend meetings and vote on store decisions. Membership is an amazing way to invest in your local community. Oh, and it never expires.

Interested? The EEFC will be having a Special General Meeting on Monday, November  21st (check out the details here!). Stop by to give your two cents on the future of the Co-op, or go visit them in person at 1034 Commercial Drive. They are pretty nice people!