What is the Dickes Bee Food Cooperative?
The Dickes Bee is an informal community food project in Berlin. We are a group of about 20 active people, working together to make sure everyone can afford good food, and we have fun doing it!
So, what´s the short-story?
We provide good food at low prices that encourage you to explore and cook with basic ingredients. We are not a one-stop shop with a middle man that sells you things you could easily make yourself.
What is your mission?
Our mission is three-fold:
- To provide Good Food at a Good Deal to all, by:
- researching our products for their goodness, then making a good deal for members by cutting most of the middle men out
- making sure our farmers get a good deal for their goods, so they themselves can afford good food
- providing food to members in bulk: we minimize packaging by buying large quantities each time, and then every member can buy just the amount she wishes (curious about that quinoa stuff? buy just 100 grams!)
- To provide Good Information, by:
- educating and connecting our members and community around responsible choices
- researching and providing all relevant information about the products we sell
- happily sharing information and experiences
- supporting you to start a Dickes Bee Food Cooperative in your own neighborhood!
- To provide Good Community on an organizational and personal level, by:
- building direct personal connections to farmers
- presenting ourselves together with e.g. other local food coops and sustainability initiatives
- sharing of information by using liberal text and software licenses
- swapping recipes
- watching movies
What are your principles?
The following principles are fixed, and form the foundation of the Dickes Bee Food Coop:
- Working Cooperative: everyone contributes to the coop (read about Membership) so that everyone benefits.
- Animal-Ethical: we don't sell fish or meat. Most of our products are vegan, and form a great basis for a vegan/vegetarian diet. Our cheeses and eggs are sourced from local, artisanal producers that we have personally visited and carefully vetted. (We don't hate meat-eaters; everyone is welcome to join our pursuit of good food!)
- Democratic: via email, web and our monthly member meetings everyone is informed and heard. To remain agile there is a Bee Hive Council, made up of a small number of active people, who ultimately take decisions.
- Cooperative: we cooperate with one another to bring good food at low prices, share skills and have good times. We cooperate with partners on the way to urban sustainable living. We cooperate with the world by sourcing environmentally, socially and economically fair products.
What is your official status?
We are currently an informal community project. We are in the process of getting an official legal status with all the regulations it entails.
Is the cooperative only about food?
Absolutely not!
- We are an information portal: we link to other sustainable and ethical organisations that may be of interest to you, we give tips on yummy cafes, good music spots, and where to find camels in Berlin.
- We are a physical community: every week we are a location of good times for all Berliners interested in cooperation and good food.
- The coop is about urban sustainable living, meeting people, making music, and exploring your inner foodie.
- Coop activities range from cooking classes, to food advocacy, to music and film nights, field trips, readings, kunstwerkstatts.
- The cooperative community is (y)ours to make it what it can be!
- Best quoted from a member: The life within the cooperative is more exciting than the actual shop!
How about joining us?