Where it all began...
The first food co-op opened in Rochdale, England in 1844 with
only five ingredients: oats, sugar, flour, butter and tallow
candles.
Twenty eight working people founded the first co-op, which they
called the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society. The 27 men and
one woman had been fired as a result of an unsuccessful strike
against weaving mills. Having lost their fight for higher wages,
they began to organize the means for securing needed goods at
lower prices. You may often hear these people referred to as
Pioneers, or as Weavers of Dreams. As members, they each
contributed to the financial base of the organization, a
practice that helped ensure their success, where other
co-operative efforts had failed.
The Rochdale co-op incorporated
on October 24, 1844, and opened for business on the night of the
winter solstice: Sat., Dec. 21st, from 8-10 p.m. Today there are
more than 100 million co-operatives world wide. They come in
many forms, including credit unions, electric & farming. |
