Page 16 - Chicago Market Community - Action Plan

OPPORTUNITIES & RISKS

WHY DOES CHICAGO MARKET NEED AN SAP?

Despite Chicago Market's commitment to sustainability and
community impact, it does not currently have a sustainability roughly
plan or charter in place. From interviews with the General 1/3
Manager, he has the intention, experience, and Board
support to deliver his vision for a sustainably focused,
industry-leading food cooperative. However, as a start-up of global emissions is
enterprise juggling financing, store build-out, and operational generated by the food
preparations, sustainability initiatives may get overlooked if system...
they are not well-documented and supported at the Board So what can a single food
and owner levels. Some of the ideas and recommendations cooperative do to change that?
in this SAP are already under consideration by the GM. In
those cases, the intent is to provide additional research on For starters...
the strategies' impact, feasibility, and implementation and LEAD BY EXAMPLE!
to formally document and communicate them to a larger (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2021)
audience.

People, Planet, Prosperity

For a local food cooperative, success is not measured in profits alone. Authentic sustainability is not only
beneficial for the planet - it's good for business and imperative to meeting customers' expectations. In
addition to creating a memorialized report, the SAP will be a helpful resource in measuring Chicago Market's
triple-bottom line of People, Planet, and Prosperity.

Social drivers. There are many social benefits of a strong local food system. In addition to supporting local
jobs and economic development, access to fresh, healthy food is increasingly important amid a growing
public health crisis, where roughly one in five Chicago residents are considered food insecure (CFEC, n.d.).
With many high-profile grocery store closings on the South and West sides, food cooperatives could play a
critical role in giving all Chicagoans access to the nutrition they deserve. Once its operations are stabilized,
Chicago Market has the opportunity to support peer cooperatives getting started across the city.

Environmental drivers. In addition to the energy use and waste produced by the retail grocery operation
itself, the larger food industry has a massive ecological footprint. Globally, food production accounts
for more than a third of greenhouse gas emissions, and that excludes any necessary transportation and
refrigeration (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2021). That emissions figure also does not reflect the impact
of land use change, deforestation, and soil nutrient loss associated with conventional industrial farming
practices.

Economic drivers. In addition to cost savings from more sustainable and efficient business operations, there
are also top-line economic benefits to focusing on low-impact foods. A grocery industry survey determined
that over one-third of customers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, in the range of
11-17% (Denman, 2023).

CHICAGO MARKET SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN 16