Foodcoop has become the first cooperative and participatory supermarket in Barcelona. We spoke to one of the project’s partners, Mohammed Lo Youssofi, to find out how we can fill our shopping baskets in a conscious and responsible way.

Self-managed consumption has created a new range of opportunities to bring us ever closer to a sustainable and conscious form of consumption. In Catalonia, there are several experiences of self-managed consumption in cities such as Manresa, Mataró and Olot, and Foodcoop brought this model to the city of Barcelona, thus becoming a pioneering venture that already has more than 500 members.

The supermarket works under a cooperative structure. The assembly is the main sovereign body, from which the members take strategic decisions. In addition, several working circles have also been created to align the tasks they have to carry out in different areas: finance, purchasing, work and operations, communication, etc. A transversal model where everyone can have their say and, at the same time, participate in the daily tasks that make up the supermarket.

Filling the basket conscientiously

Foodcoop offers a wide range of products that make it possible to fill the shopping basket according to the criteria and principles that drive the project. As Mohammed Lo Youssofi explains, among these criteria, some stand out, such as, for example, “opting for products of proximity, organic, fair trade products, intercultural and inclusion issues, seasonal products or products that raise the value of sustainability or zero waste”.

The methodology used by projects such as Foodcoop ensures that an everyday activity such as shopping at the supermarket has a positive impact on a social scale. In fact, the territorial roots are an essential factor for the project and thanks to which consumption can become “a transforming element that generates internal dynamics in the territory”. You can listen to the entire conversation to find out, from the inside, how this project works and how it can benefit us as consumers.

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