The Stock List

In summer 2015, a couple of us Green Action members initiated a stock list for the food hub. We did this because there had been lots of discussion over the year about what we wanted to stock, we some things being stocked which didn't get sold and then went out of date, or things that some members thought didn't match our ethics , and a lot of variability in how much was being spent each week. It was also decided that the people doing the ordering would have an easier time, and that we could also communicate to members buying stuff from the store, that we only stocked what we as a coop had decided to stock.
We created a stock list which included an evaluation of what we were stocking at the time. We proposed a lot of changes in order to make our focus on local (UK or Europe if possible) foods, prioritising this over organic in some cases, and on low packaging. We also prioritised ethical foods where they were coming from companies which work closely with their suppliers in a partnership which is equivalent to, or better than, Fairtrade. The evaluation involved doing research into the companies or growers supplying Lembas and our other suppliers, and considering prices as well as origins.
So the first stock list went into usage in October 2015. There were some amendments during that term.
Below is the process we have agreed upon.
Agreed:
1. The foodhub only stocks what is listed on the stock list
2. If people want to propose new items, they should first read this document to see whether what they are proposing has already been evaluated, and then come to a food hub meeting.
3. The stock list can be amended at food hub meetings. It is a google doc, available for anyone who has the link, to edit.