GROCERY DEMOCRACY: Rise of the “Citizen-Consumer” As democracy claims center stage in national conversations—especially where economic interests and public institutions intersect—cooperatives are uniquely positioned to respond. In fact, they were built for moments like this.
In this inspiring talk, author Jon Steinman draws on 20+ years of experience to reveal what co-op membership really means—and why it matters now more than ever. He will explore how, in contrast to the growing consolidation of food supply chains, individual consumers remain largely unorganized, yet full of potential. As Equal Exchange co-founder Rink Dickinson observes: “As long as consumers stay unorganized, their power is questionable, but this group is the sleeping giant.”
Steinman will examine the democratic opportunities—and challenges—within food co-ops, sharing insights on how to awaken this sleeping giant and harness the collective power of citizen-consumers.
Instructor: Jon Steinman
JON STEINMAN is the author of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants (New Society Publishers), and the publisher of the Food Co-op Finder app. Before narrowing his focus on grocery, Jon was the producer and host of the internationally-syndicated radio show and podcast Deconstructing Dinner, once ranked as the most-listened-to food podcast in Canada, and was writer and host of Deconstructing Dinner: Reconstructing our Food System – a television and web series. He lives in Nelson, British Columbia.