Cooperative trade with affordable prices over the time of its partners
- The creation of the Hendaiakoop project can be seen in the flourishing of cooperative businesses in Iparralde and in the Bidasoa area. Since they started taking their first steps in 2018, some of the members who wanted to bet on sustainable agriculture and other consumption models, the road has been fruitful. They began to function through the distribution of baskets, but over time they have opened the cooperative point of sale in downtown Hendaia. There are currently almost 300 partners. “The aim was to create from the outset a participatory organization requiring active engagement,” said Board member Jokin Etxebarria.
Regarding the values of Hendaiakoop, Etxebarria has made a long list: “We want to create a tool that acts as an actor of personal consumption to get as many people as possible a quality food, that promotes sustainable and environmentally friendly local production and that has fair prices.” He stresses that from the beginning they were clear that they wanted to prevent the store from becoming "elitist," because their intention is to drive a project for everyone. Each cooperative provides a hundred euros, of which 70 will be recovered upon leaving the project and 30 are contributions to the cooperative.
To boost the most affordable prices, the partner ensures that the price margins of the products are low and each cooperativist devotes time to the project. “Every four weeks each member of the cooperative must dedicate three hours to the project in the working groups available for it: some are food sellers, others buy products from producers and, finally, there are people dedicated to management and communication.” In this way, each partner contributes to the cooperative according to their skills and tastes, working hours that make prices more affordable for everyone. “Today we also have a worker, because we also had a commitment to create a job from the start,” he adds.
Working with over 100 producers
20% of the products from the Hendaiakoop store come from Bidasoa and 65% from Euskal Herria. “Some are bio tagged, others are not, but all are those who have a basic or just ecological commitment,” says Etxebarria. In other words, in the case of those who do not have an ecological seal, they see in the cooperative that they come from a sustainable farming model. “It is important for us not only to be an echo, but that the working conditions behind the product are dignified, that the products are seasonal, short-distance, that they move in shared transport… In recent years we are making a great effort to prioritize bulk products,” he says.
Cooperatives can make a full shopping cart: fruit, vegetables, meat, charcuterie, vegan products, fish, frozen, beverages… “We have about 500 products in the store and we work with about 100 local producers. It’s a good opportunity for them to have this point of sale.”
