August is P6 Month, and Seward Co-op will be celebrating every week! P6 producers will be sampling and we’ll have Seward gift card raffles every weekend in both stores, so please, stop by often! The festivities begin Saturday, August 6, from noon–3 p.m.; please join us for the P6 Month Kick-off with a celebration of your favorite local, small-scale and/or cooperatively-owned producers. Both Franklin and Friendship stores will be full of P6 samples, opportunities to talk with P6 representatives, and chances to win great P6 prizes!
P6 is a national movement owned by and designed for co-ops. It was named in the spirit of “Cooperation Among Cooperatives,” the sixth principle (P6) of the seven international cooperative principles established by the International Cooperative Alliance. Cooperatives serve their owners most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures. The P6 trade movement exemplifies just and equitable trade relationships between farmers, producers, retailers and consumers, rooted in cooperative principles and values.
The P6 label calls out products that meet our highest values, which align with the Ends of the co-op, and show our commitment to supporting a strong, independent food system. When you buy P6, your dollar goes further! Buying P6 products not only supports your local co-op, but flows resources back to the small-scale, local, and/or cooperative producers–many of which pay their staff a living wage and provide them benefits. From 2010-2015, Seward Co-op’s total P6 sales have nearly doubled from $7,380,200 in 2010 to $13,587,908 last year!
Seward Co-op proudly launched P6 in 2010 as a tool to help shoppers identify products that meet their values. In order for an item to receive the P6 label, the producer must meet two of three criteria: locally produced, cooperatively owned, and/or small-scale.
• Local defines a product grown or produced in the five-state region (MN, WI, IA, ND, SD).
• Cooperative is defined by cooperative ownership of the business or non-profit.
• Small-scale producer is defined using these guidelines: independently owned and operated, selling direct to our stores or through a local distributor with a regional distribution area.
We pay special attention to products from international sources, or whose main ingredient is from an international source, like a chocolate bar or coffee. The international ingredient must be sourced from a small-scale farmer co-op in order to receive the P6 designation. This extra level of attention is because of rampant exploitation in international commodity food chains.
We hope that Seward’s cooperation with the other P6 co-op members inspires you to support your co-op, area producers, and the equitable relationships embodied in a co-op supply chain.