Our Commitment

River City Food Co-op's ethical policy is based on the principles of sustainability, social justice and non-violence. This is applied to all aspects of the co-operative. A sustainable business considers its impact on the environment and its relationship with its suppliers, its workers and its customers as well as remaining financially viable.

Waste reduction- We aim to minimize our impact on the environment. We minimize packaging by stocking over 200 bulk products, and only use recycled plastic bags brought in by our members. Produce bags and bulk containers are made of compostable corn starch. We compost our fruit and vegetable waste and recycle our cardboard.

Local - The Co-op seeks to support other local businesses whenever possible. Restaurants may order through the Co-op at reduced rates. Locally-produced soaps, incense, baby products, cheeses, eggs, meats and seasonal vegetables are available at the Co-op. If you are a local producer or local business that would like to partner with us, please contact us >

Organic - To ensure that the food we sell is free of chemicals, toxins and preservatives, we stock as much certified organic food as possible, but also buy many "natural" products. Learn more >

Fair Trade - To ensure that overseas suppliers are earning a living wage, we stock fairly-traded coffees, teas, herbs, and bananas. Learn more >

Animal treatment- The Co-op only stocks meat products that have been farmed sustainably and compassionately. Most of our meat is also locally-raised. We only stock cosmetics, soaps and household products that have not been tested on animals. Organic farming standards include strict animal welfare requirements.

Chemicals- We aims to stock only products that contain chemicals that are considered to be safe for human beings and the environment. Our cleaning products and soaps are non-toxic and completely biodegradable. We are happy to re-evaluate the products we stock if new evidence about their contents is brought to our attention.

Other companies- We aim to trade with companies that have established ethical policies. We prefer to trade with other co-operatives (such as Frontier Natural Foods and Organic Valley) whenever we can. Unfortunately, many mainstream organic brands are owned by major corporations without ethical policies. For a list of corporate ownership of organic brands, see this Organic Industry Structure diagram >

Genetically Engineered foods - The Co-op is concerned about the widespread usage of genetically modified organisms in food that goes unlabeled and unregulated. Learn more >