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‘Grocery Story’ Makes A Case For The Co-op

Jon Steinman is an advocate for the co-op as an important tool in reforming the food world.
Jon Steinman is an advocate for the co-op as an important tool in reforming the food world.

The food system is broken and grocery stores are a big part of the problem, according to author Jon Steinman. Steinman spent years researching the money and health and environmental impact of our grocery system, which is dominated by large food conglomerates.

In his new book, Jon Steinman argues that food co-ops help ensure fair pay for farmers and provide consumers access to healthier foods.
Credit Courtesy of Jon Steinman
In his new book, Jon Steinman argues that food co-ops help ensure fair pay for farmers and provide consumers access to healthier foods.

Host Frank Stasio talks to author Jon Steinman about our country's grocery system.

In his book “Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants" (New Society Publishers/2019), he presents the food co-op as an often overlooked but important tool for making big changes in the food world. Steinman proposes that ensuring fair pay for farmers and strengthening access to healthy food, makes the food co-op the most sustainable answer.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Steinman ahead of his talk at the French Broad Food Co-Op in Asheville Tuesday, June 18.

Copyright 2019 North Carolina Public Radio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.