About Our Products

Vegetarian/Vegan

In line with our mission to sell compassionate, ethical, and sustainable products, the 4th Street Food Co-op is 100% vegetarian and almost completely vegan.

Organic

Organic food is better for the environment, saves energy, reduces soils erosion, is healthier, and just tastes better. Almost all food in the store is organic or better. There are not organic varieties of every product our members and shoppers would like us to continue to stock, but new items are organic or better.

Ethical

We carry no brands owned by publicly owned transnational corporations. See these links:

• Organic company ownership chart - From the Cornucopia Institute
• More graphics visualizing organic industry structure - From Philip H. Howard @ Michigan State University
• The Corporate Corruption of Organics - from the Organic Consumers Association
• The Corporate Organic Conquest - also from the Organic Consumers Association
• The Corporation - a film about why publicly owned corporations are inherently bad

Read more about our efforts in this area.

Locally Grown

Supporting local farmers puts money back into our community and ensures that farmland won't be converted to pavement. Furthermore, buying local minimizes the environmental impact of transport. Locally grown produce is fresher and tastes better. We buy as locally grown as possible, whenever feasible.

Fair Trade

The co-op stocks fair trade products whenever applicable and possible, in order to work with marginalized producers and workers, in an effort to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. By adhering to social criteria and environmental principles, fair trade organizations foster a more equitable and sustainable system of production and trade that benefits people and their communities.