Zapatista coffee cooperatives that distribute their production through alternative trade and solidarity networks; workers successfully operating bankrupt factories; neighbourhood movements that grow food, making the most of empty spaces in their area; unemployed movements that organize cooperatives and create job opportunities; “banks” supporting alternative financial ventures; alternative distribution networks that operate for the best of producers and consumers. The above are some instances of an alternative financial global practice that is rising against the neo-liberal model. They are examples that support the main contemporary slogan of resistance: “another world is possible!”

In our country the small steps taken to this direction are mainly due to groups or persons that grow organic products. “The Seed”, a cooperative aiming at establishing an alternative distribution network, may be the best-organized attempt in Greece.

“The Seed – La Semilla”

We started this venture of alternative and solidarity trade three years ago. We knew very few things, but we were convinced that we would find support to our efforts. We knew each other from solidarity groups and collectivities that believe in horizontal networks and direct participation. Originally, inspired by the Zapatista movement, we started distributing Zapatista coffee.

Today we distribute products of organized producers of the international South that are struggling for their independence from local go-betweens and big multinational companies. Through the cooperative Café Libertad from Germany, we import coffee from the Zapatista cooperatives of Tsiapas in Mexico, cocoa from the cooperative El Ceibo of Bolibia, mate from the MST of Brazil, tea from the movement of Adivasi in India, while through the Italian social cooperative Libero Mondo, we bring green tea from Vietnam, red tea from South Africa, sugar from cooperatives in Ecuador and chocolate, the ingredients of which are produced by cooperatives in Paraguay, Brazil and Ecuador.

During these three years, apart from the practical experience we gained, we also discussed in length about the identity and the direction we want to give to this venture. This process made us realize that we neither want to be involved solely with alternative and solidarity trade, nor do we want to confine ourselves to international solidarity.

We view our venture as part of a wider movement of social change, a global process that embraces all aspects of life and resists the status quo, while exploring and creating new ways of life. In this way, we feel close to every other venture that fights for social emancipation. Our actions are part of the wider context of solidarity economy, a process of changing contemporary enterprise in action.

We are facing a global trade industry with immense power; a system in which both producers and consumers are unintentionally forced to take part in a never-ending pursuit of the biggest possible profit. It is extremely hopeful to know that a global challenge to this status quo is being put to practice.

The producers and “The Seed”

Distribution through alternative networks gives the producers better prices than the humiliatingly low usual ones. It also helps them to empower their autonomy so that they can choose ways of production and organization. At the same time, channels of communication between them and the movements of the North are building up.

This effort to create alternative ways of trade is not an originality of “The Seed”. The fair trade movement started in the late 50s and is now economically robust and widely recognized in many European countries. While researching its past and its present and contacting its contemporary advocates, we discovered that this is not a uniform movement. On the contrary, it takes numerous forms and has trends that may even be contradictory: different ideas and practices interact in this movement and a rich, even, at times, intense dialogue is taking place. “The Seed” takes part in this process, in search of inspiration and ideas, but we are not looking for labels and ready-tailored solutions. We disagree with the term ‘fair’ as this is defined by the technocratic certification organisms of the North, either this concerns the price or the other ‘prerequisites’ that the producers should meet.

Even though “The Seed” distributes, up to now, products from the ‘developing world’, and mainly from Latin American countries, we do not see what we do as a form of ‘giving help’ to the ‘third world poor’. We do not lack an understanding of the difficulties they face, nor do we ignore the fact that it is their needs that are the more urgent. Solidarity between two groups, however, is about understanding and helping each other, not giving charity and encouraging dependence. From this point of view, the Seed gives priority to organizations of producers that are actively involved in the social struggles of their territories.

We aim at establishing immediate contact and equal relations with the producers and we have already taken steps concerning the Zapatista coffee cooperatives, coffee being the main product we distribute. We contact the cooperatives and import coffee directly: in the spring of 2008 a container of coffee from the new crop will travel directly from Vera Cruz to Piraeus for the first time. We are also members of the network of coffee-distributing cooperatives in Europe (Red Pro Zapa). Its next meeting will take place in Athens in March. Finally, from the surplus of coffee distribution until the end of 2006, we gave back two thousand euros to the Zapatista Councils of Good Government.

The consumers and “The Seed”

Through our network, consumers get quality products in reasonable prices. These are not produced by exploiting human labour and raping the natural environment and their quality does not have to do with packaging and advertising; the history and the toil of their producers is carried in their ingredients.

We believe that the existing structures of mass distribution networks (wholesale and supermarkets) are completely incompatible with our philosophy. Instead of using those structures to increase our sales in the name of solidarity, we focused on organizing a network based on collectivities, individuals and small shops throughout the country. So, the products are available in other spots in Athens, apart from our venue as well as in 27 Greek cities, towns and villages in a common price and philosophy.

To us, the importance of this network is not of a quantitative (that is, of a financial) nature but of a qualitative nature. Ideas and experience are exchanged through this network and not only does a hopeful dynamic emerge, but the seed of new alternative economy ventures may be already growing

“The Seed” believes that alternative and solidarity trade should promote an alternative model for consumption and should help in shaping active participants rather than looking for clients. Our spot is the place where we interact with the people that buy the products, and that is why it reminds more of a venue than a typical shop.

We are building relationships based on informing and having everyday contact with the buyers and not through bureaucratic certifications, because we disagree with any certificate –seal that transforms the products to merchandise with added value. We protest against the ‘fair trade’ of multinational companies like Starbucks and supermarket chains. They use it to promote a charity profile while raising the sales.

Since we believe in consumers actively participating, we ask them to abandon supermarket commodities. Our products have, apart from names and prices, a story to tell and, in the leaflets that accompany them, we invite the buyers to listen to it. Sometimes we may not be open, because we have gone to a demonstration or a rally, and there may be a lack of some products due to several reasons (e.g., a poor harvest), so we explain and ask them to be patient.

We want our products to be accessible to all and not to an elite of privileged consumers. The prices, already affordable when compared with mass trade prices, have remained the same since we started this venture. Having experienced trade in practice, we honestly wonder why the supermarkets raise the prices all the time.

Moreover, as an alternative economy venture, we experiment on a different way of ‘consumption’, a give-and-take exchange and solidarity spot: in the loft, you will find a permanent give-away bazaar, because we need to put into practice anti-consumerism, even by starting something small-scale. This is a give-away bazaar of objects that someone may not need, while someone else may find useful. These objects, whatever their value, have no price because they are there to be of use to whoever needs them. You do not need to bring something to take something else. You just need to use what you take. This is our way of cutting down over-consumption and reducing the amount of waste we generate.

Our way of operation

As we mentioned in the beginning, we are part of a movement that explores and creates new ways of life. The way we operate can not stray far from our beliefs. We chose the legal status of a non-profit cooperative, because it stands closer to what we consider democratic proceedings. In practice, we try to run a process with the following main characteristics: participation, group meetings, common consent, horizontal networks and elimination of representatives, with the aim to strike a balance between our goals and everyday practice.

Where do we go from here?

“The Seed” is becoming more and more accepted and widely recognized. We meet with networks and isolated producers that grow organic products in different parts of Greece. We get inspiration from the international experience that is getting richer and richer. We have numerous plans for the future. For the time being, we are carefully expanding our network to include products of collectivities and we are making contact with conscientious producers that are moving parallel to our way of thought, in order to distribute their products. We would like to enlarge the give-away bazaar and promote this practice further. We realize that we are moving on hesitantly, that we sometimes go backwards, that we are not ready yet to stand up to everything that can be done. We aim at creating a social movement of alternative and solidarity economy that includes horizontal networks of collectively organized producers, distribution networks and active consumers.

Cooperative for the alternative and solidarity trade

21 Sp. Trikoupi str., Athens

Tel. 210-3801375

www.sporos.org/en