The John Mackey (@WholeFoods) interview on @HowIBuiltThis rehearses my critique of US @foodcoops in #EverythingForEveryone: by refusing to manage their own compromises, they conceded the market they created to the capitalists.
@WholeFoods @HowIBuiltThis @foodcoops Mackey wanted to create a market where ppl could do all their shopping, even if it meant carrying some non-pure stuff. Meanwhile, too many food co-ops kept to purity while members had to go to Walmart for essentials.
@WholeFoods @HowIBuiltThis @foodcoops And (not so relevant to the Whole Foods case) co-ops have often opted not to provide cheaper or culturally relevant food to their lower income neighbors.
@WholeFoods @HowIBuiltThis @foodcoops As a result, they ceded the market. The natural foods market exists in large part thaks to them, and they could have cornered it with first mover advantage. Mackey himself fell for good food through a co-op.
@WholeFoods @HowIBuiltThis @foodcoops In contrast, Italy's @Coopitalia is the largest grocery retailer in the country. Some stores look like Whole Foods, some like Walmart. They're not pure, but members manage their compromises under their own roof. Dirty work isn't left to capital.
@WholeFoods @HowIBuiltThis @foodcoops @Coopitalia Now our only hope is for Jeff Bezos to turn soft in old age and finance the conversion Amazon into a co-op owned by workers and Prime members. Or the @FTC could do it for him.
@WholeFoods @HowIBuiltThis @foodcoops (Sorry for the inappropriate @foodcoops tag. I mean @CoGrocer @strongrtogethr etc.)
@WholeFoods @HowIBuiltThis @foodcoops @Coopitalia @FTC BTW, the latest @coloradocoops podcast is on co-op food: coloradocoops.info/radio.
I love you, grocery co-ops. We just need more of you.
I love you, grocery co-ops. We just need more of you.
