Food Cooperatives in the Development of the West Virginia Food System

Adam Craig, Megan Govindan, Amanda Marple
Center for Resilient Communities, Department of Geography

Presentation Category: Human Engagement

Student’s Major: International Studies

Food cooperatives have been a driving force in the economy and food system of the United States for decades, coming into significance during the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement as a form of resistance to racial and economic inequities. It is critical to understand the strengths and limitations of various cooperative agricultural development models in order to apply this history to the racialized food system of West Virginia. Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis has shed light on the fragilities of the food system and the need for supporting cooperative economies in Appalachia. The purpose of this study is to conduct a literature review to examine research on agricultural cooperatives and compare and contrast models that would be suitable for transforming West Virginia’s local food economy. These models are then directly applied to organizations like Sprouting Farms and grassroots cooperators in the Turnrow Appalachian Farm Collective, an agricultural collective in West Virginia.

Funding:

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: a West Virginia SURE program