What is a Co-op?
A co-op is an enterprise or organization jointly owned or managed by those who use its facilities or services. In our case, Food Conspiracy is owned by over 3,500 Tucsonans. Because ownership is equally distributed into many shares, we have a strong democratic structure, ensuring that decisions are made to support our Owners’ needs rather than just increase profits for the benefit of a few.
We are proud members of the NCG (National Co-op Grocers) whose purpose its to maximize members' success, inclusivity, and impact, and to grow the cooperative grocery sector in size and scope in an environmentally regenerative manner.
Our History
The Food Conspiracy Co-op was born in 1971, when a group of Tucson residents formed a buying club. These original members used their collective purchasing power to get natural food products, which were largely unavailable in stores at that time. The original co-op store occupied one storefront on 4th Avenue, and over the years expanded into three more adjacent storefronts. In the early years, the co-op was run as a collective, with all of the approximately 20 employees holding joint responsibility for decision-making. The Co-Op adopted the Policy Governance model to include a leadership team of nine members of the Board of Directors and the General Manager.
As the natural foods industry has blossomed in recent years, health food has become available at many other retailers in Tucson. Food Conspiracy, however, remains the city’s only full-service consumer cooperative. Because we are owned by our members, and beholden to them rather than to corporate interests, the quality and range of products we offer is unique in Tucson.
Our store is open to non-members and members alike. We pride ourselves on our product quality, our excellent customer service, and our strong history as a cooperative business in Tucson. We invite you to come visit us and see for yourself what makes us special.