ONFC highlights Co-ops at Organic Conference
Posted: January 19, 2012
Categories: News from Sustain Ontario
“Building Local Organic Value Chains Using Co-operative Structural Models”
12:00 – 4:30pm, January 26th, 2012 at the Guelph Organic Conference, Room UC103
In light of the U.N.’s recognition of 2012 as the International Year of the Co-operative, this session explores the valuable role of co-operatives as a successful business model for creating resilient local and organic supply chains, drawing upon the expertise of a diversity of food and farming co-operators working at many different scales across Ontario. Highlights of the afternoon including a collaborative discussion of several models of small and midscale values-based supply chains, information sharing from the province’s nascent food co-operative network, and a panel composed of five unique co-ops working at all levels of the food chain. ***
Cost: $55 (students $20) + HST
For additional information about this session, please contact Hannah Renglich at hrenglich@onfc.ca.
Read more for speakers and schedule.
12:00 pm registration outside UC103, pick-up of pre-ordered organic box lunches
1:00 pm: Presentation on important role of co-ops in the organic movement, co-operative value chains in organic food and farming, and Ontario’s Local Organic Food Co-operative Network.
Russ Christianson, Rhythm Communications
Hannah Renglich, Local Organic Food Co-operative Network
Randy Whitteker, Ontario Natural Food Co-op
2:30 pm: Co-op Panel: producer-owned, consumer-owned, worker-owned, and multistakeholder co-ops engaged in growing, processing, distributing and selling food, with an emphasis on local, organic, social justice, international and domestic fair trade values.
Bill Barrett, Sumac Community Worker Co-op, Planet Bean
Erin Chapelle, Karma Marketplace
Ayal Dinner, West End Food Co-op
Loretta McHenry, The London Co-op Store
Ted Zettel, Organic Meadow
3:45: Challenges and opportunities, group discussion.
Cost: $55 (students $20) + HST
For additional information about this session, please contact Hannah Renglich at hrenglich@onfc.ca.