The poster read: “We need the hands, the ideas, the hearts… to create a consumer cooperative in Donostia” came to my Inbox in early June. It was the convening of a meeting to bring together people from Donostialdea interested in that objective. Joseba Parrón, who has participated in these first steps, has explained that they are still in the process of creating this new project. “We say we are still in the nest.” In the nest, but in the preparations to fly from the nest.

Similar projects as an example

In November, the Donostiarras received the first proposal from the cooperative Labore de Oiartzun and Bilbao, which is dedicated to agriculture. “They saw the opportunity to launch a similar project in Donostia, and by calling each other, we met a group of friends and friends to make a meeting and meet us,” says Parron. Taking advantage of the film’s screening of the Food Coop cooperative in New York at the Film and Human Rights Festival and the presence of the Oiartzun Crops, they invited the people there to an open meeting.

The first meeting was held in May in the park of Viveros de Ulia, and in view of the presence of about 30 people and the interest to create the project, they decided to start taking steps and meet every fifteen days. “We are now organizing visits to get to know projects like the ones we have around us, to gradually define how each one would see that Donostia consumer cooperative.” Efforts are being made to create a critical mass, as it is anticipated that the project will require the input of many people.

Agro-ecological, local and social

These three axes have been agreed so far. In other words, that consumer cooperative to be created in the future at Donostia should offer agro-ecological and local products, and the project should have a social approach. “Some can put more strength on the ecological, others on the social… That’s where we are.”

In addition to the final objective, the process of creating the consumer cooperative itself is also important for the participant. Work is being done as horizontally and openly as possible, and so far the participation has been broad and rich: “We met people of very large ages, from 27-28 to 70 years old.” Without a hurry, they want to walk in small but safe steps. “Enjoy and deepen the process itself.”