AGM 2022 Summary

by Kenna S Eaton, GM

Thank you for attending the Co-op’s Annual General Meeting. It was indeed our pleasure to share with you the many challenges and accomplishments of the Co-op in 2021. We apologize for not being able to address the questions posted on the registration portal until after the meeting, but two of the three questions were re-asked in the Chat, so they were partially answered at the time, and I’ve gone into more detail below. The third question, which was for the candidates, was luckily covered by their statements on the website along with the questions we had prepared when we thought there were no questions from members.

Two questions submitted were very similar, and here is the short version of both:

Do you feel "Natural" is a core Food Co-op value? If so, how best can the Co-op reclaim its "Natural" priorities after detouring into unnatural masked breathing, sanitizers, plastic barriers, Zoom meetings, and promotion of Big Pharma agendas instead of natural health?

This is a question that is full of nuances. My immediate response is to ask what is meant by the word natural, because, at least when it comes to food, the word doesn’t have a clear, definable meaning, and so has been co-opted by manufacturers as a marketing tool. For food, I believe the gold standard of Certified Organically Grown does a great job of defining and clarifying expectations. With that designation, we know how the food is produced and that is its free of genetically engineered ingredients. At the Co-op we have gone a step further by creating a list of ingredients you will not find in our food, as well as guidelines and standards we adhere to. You can find those on our website.

But both these questions were trying to get to the heart of the COVID safety precautions we have taken on in the past three years. As most people know all of these precautions were either required by governing bodies or, in the case of Zoom meetings and online shopping, adopted to ensure we met those regulations and the needs of our members. And as I said at the annual meeting, many members regularly thank us for taking these precautions. Some of those precautions will end when COVID becomes endemic rather than a declared pandemic, and some we will keep because they help slow the spread of other viruses. As a side note, while I don’t love online meetings, I have found that they do allow me (and others) to attend meetings that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. And so, in many ways these meetings, like our AGM, have become more accessible, and that is a good thing.

As a note, I’m still working on Kim’s question about the hoodies made in Honduras. The clothing we carry should follow the same standards as for food, including our fair trade and organic guidelines.

Thank you for taking the time to join us for the 2022 Annual General Meeting, and we look forward to being able to continue these conversations as we develop our strategic plan.

We are happy to report that support of local agriculture and producers, as well as organizations, and businesses that have similar values and missions as the Co-op, is high on everyone’s list of priorities, and we’ll be using that information as we renew our strategic plan. It is valuable to know what is important to you as we look toward building a stronger, more resilient future.