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Mission & Values

Mission & Values

We are Mississippi Market, a food co-op that is open to everyone. We empower our diverse communities to:

be healthy,
make choices that help sustain our planet, and
create a more just local economy.

Strategic Drivers

In pursuit of achieving our mission, we will:

Deliver great customer service to everyone who comes through our doors.
Support and develop a diverse, dedicated and engaged staff.
Be a source of local, sustainable products and education about food-related issues.
Strengthen our local food system and our network of local farmers and producers.
Create a financially sound co-op that reinvests in its community.

Ends

Mississippi Market Co-op is a welcoming cooperative that:

Champions a just and inclusive local economy
Promotes a healthy, sustainable environment and food system
Innovates to serve the needs of its diverse communities
Fosters strong, equitable community relationships

Co-op Principles

Cooperatives around the world look to seven internationally recognized principles to guide them. By adhering to these cooperative principles, Mississippi Market stays connected and accessible to our member-owners and our community.

Voluntary & Open Membership
Democratic Member Control
Member Economic Participation
Autonomy & Independence
Education, Training, & Information
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Concern for Community

Committed to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Mississippi Market Co-op, we support and celebrate everyone’s unique identities, perspectives, and abilities. We believe that our diversity adds value and makes our co-op stronger. For this reason, we continually work to foster a diverse, inclusive, and accessible environment. This empowers co-op staff to contribute to creating a shopping experience and organizational culture where all shoppers, vendors, and staff feel welcomed, represented, and respected.

We hold diversity, equity, and inclusion as intrinsic co-op values and strive to ensure they are reflected in every aspect of our operations. This is imperative to upholding our cooperative mission of empowering our diverse communities. By acting together in solidarity, we continually pursue our goals of creating a more just food system and equitable society.

Cooperative Values

“Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.” – The International Co-operative Alliance

Not only does Mississippi Market strive to adhere to these cooperative values, but the co-op also has our own set of values in place, including:

Supporting the local economy.
Working for global sustainability.
Outreach to our community.

Unlike our conventional counterparts, Mississippi Market is owned and governed by member-owners and rooted in principles like community, voluntary and open membership, economic participation, and cooperation. Because of these principles and practices, food co-ops inherently serve and directly benefit the communities where they are located.

Product & Brand Values

Mississippi Market gives strong preference to products that are desired by co-op member-owners and shoppers, and brands that share our collective commitment to the following values.

Contribute to a Just & Equitable Economy

Locally produced
Fairly priced, offering value to co-op customers and member-owners
Produced or distributed by cooperatively owned vendors
Available for purchase on the WIC program

Support Sustainable & Ethical Production

Certified organic
Free of growth hormones or antibiotics
Produced using practices that support sustainable agriculture
Raised using sound animal husbandry and humane practices