This workshop will focus on the potential to grow and sustain a new food economy by forging more transparent and cooperative relationships among farmers, distributors, retailers, consumers, and other stakeholders. It will highlight the work of individuals, businesses, and organizations that are successfully innovating in this realm and provide a conceptual framework for understanding and replicating these efforts, drawing on Rudolf Steiner's associative economics as well as contemporary research and development in the field of integrated supply chains.
The morning session will focus on international examples including Akshayakalpa, a Ghandi-inspired network of over 150 raw milk dairy farmers in India and Hansalim, a farmer-consumer co-op in Korea that includes over 2,300 farmers and a half million consumers.
The afternoon will focus on domestic examples, including Hummingbird Wholesale, an innovative distributor of local and organic food in Eugene, Oregon; the Independent Natural Food Retail Association, which supports a network of over 350 independently owned natural food stores; and Union, a startup national brand committed to sourcing Biodynamic and regenerative ingredients for their products.
There will be ample time for small and large conversations to engage actively with these examples in order to learn from them, give feedback, and incorporate lessons into each of our unique contexts.
Note: Participants may sign up for just the morning session, just the afternoon session or both.
