ADP Bodega Project:

Providing access to fresh, quality, and affordable food to USDA Food Deserts

Introduction.A food desert is an area in the industrialized world where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain. Urban or rural, food deserts are typically found in areas with populations of low socio-economic status. As a direct result of not having access to healthy foods at a reasonable cost, many low income communities suffer from a disproportionate number of diet related health issues and diseases. ADP has been addressing food insecurity for 20 years within the confines of its own cooperatively run institutions through the operation of community run food cooperatives.

The goals of the ADP Bodega Projectare to provide affordable, quality, fresh foods that are culturally appropriate to low income people living in USDA designated food deserts in Western Massachusetts; to develop a social enterprise that will increase ADP’s economic power by expanding the ADP Community Economy; and to provide a pathway to careers in agriculture and business management for members of ADP.

Statement of Need. Communities of low socio-economic status suffer from a disproportionate number of diet related health issues including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It is not possible for society to begin to address the health crisis in this country without addressing the root causes of it. One root cause is the inaccessibility of nutritious, quality and affordable foods in low income communities and communities of color. In many food deserts, convenience stores, or bodegas, have filled the void that a supermarket normally would. But a typical bodega does not offer a variety of fresh and healthy foods at an affordable price. Instead we see that our poorest communities are consuming more processed and less nutritious foods and they are doing so at a premium price.

As low-income people feel the effects of our economic crisis the most, ADP – through its innovative cooperative economic development initiatives, has created a “community economy” that owns over $68 million in assets, including 770 units of affordable housing, a worker-controlled landscaping, painting and light construction company (United for Hire), and strong business partnerships with specialized companies like Mount Holyoke Management and Environmental Compliance Services. ADP businesses guarantee job creation for some of the most disenfranchised members of our society, while securing assets that are held by the community and generate wealth for impoverished neighborhoods (not individuals).

Project Description. The ADP will be launching several local grocery/general stores in USDA designated food deserts. ADP will leverage capital through a local CDFI and from national foundations to begin the development of a community controlled grocery cooperative that will partner with local farms to bring fresh produce and culturally specific food to low-income neighborhoods. ADP is hoping to launch this initiative in three distressed neighborhoods in the Pioneer Valley. In the first three years, the ADP Bodega Project will create 15 permanent living wage jobs and will inject $1 million in cash flow each year into local economies.

Cooperative Retail Food Store

The actual Bodega will be a retail food store that is run cooperatively by employees with an emphasis on consumer input to ensure a variety of desirable products. Employeesof this project will come from ADP’s current culturally diverse membership. Additionally, ADP will look to it’s captive market of 5,000 members for a strong consumer base.

Partnerships with Local Farms

The first relationships to be built will be with local farmers who have the ability to supply the Bodega with fresh, local produce, dairy, and meat products. Once a business relationship has been established, the goal is to work together with local farms and agriculture related businesses to offer training and career pathways to members and workers at the Bodega.

Business Management

A critical focus of the Bodega project will be to identify and train individuals in the many aspects of operating a small business: financial decision making; advertising; relationship building; and managing and developing staff.

History. For twenty years, ADP has been organizing around issues of food security in our poorest communities in Western Massachusetts and beyond. Our community leaders have won progressive policy reform at the state and national level to address food insecurity and to shed much needed light on outdated or inefficient food assistance programs. In addition to taking a political position, ADP neighborhoods have formed food cooperatives that distribute one-week’s worth of free food per ADP member household each month. The food cooperatives provide thousands of pounds of food purchased from the Western Mass Food Bank every year to our members living in subsidized housing, or participating in the ADP Worker Center and ADP Faith. The food cooperatives are some of our most successful programs and have been increasing social and economic security for over a decade.

Marketing Niche. ADP is well positioned to launch a retail food cooperative providing reasonably priced and healthy options to those living in USDA designated food deserts. ADP owns approximately 770 units of permanently affordable housing in Western Massachusetts, and has a member base of 5,000 – with an extended universe of over 10,000 individuals. ADP has earned the trust of this extensive and diverse base of individuals and institutions through a model of community organizing, cooperative economic development and leadership development. This model also enables ADP to mobilize large groups of people and execute a successful marketing campaign.

Outcomes and Evaluation. This project is designed to tackle some of the barriers (cost, geography, selection and quality) low income people face that keep them from making healthy food choices, while providing living wage jobs and business skill development opportunities to communities with limited employment options. Success will be measured by initial uptake of products and services, continued usage over an extended period of time, and customer satisfaction. In addition, the project’s success will also be measured by whether it achieves sustainability, profitability and getting to scale, the total number of jobs created, cash flow injected into local economy, pathways to careers in local agriculture, and our ability to forge meaningful business relationships.

Current Status. The project is beginning a six-month pre development phase that includes:

  • identifying and engaging a project consultant
  • market research
  • member focus groups
  • building design
  • branding/marketing strategy
  • employee training
  • product selection

Funding. ADP is seeking out both donated and financed capital for this project. ADP has identifieda CDFI that is willing to be a partner and provide financing capital, predevelopment funds and technical assistance.

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