Ethical pioneers mark birthday
TURNING 20 is cause for celebration for any local business, but it’s a particularly impressive achievement for a not-forprofit outfit that relies heavily on volunteers.
Community Foods was set up in 1997 by a group of friends who bought healthy food in bulk and sold it, with minimal packaging, from a stall at Rusty’s Markets.
Founding member Beth Shorter says they might have been seen as “a bit hippie” in the beginning, but many of their priorities are now almost mainstream.
“Organic food is certainly much easier to find these days, bulk food outlets are catching on, and it’s great to see many stores making an effort to reduce plastic bags,” she said.
So what can Community Foods offer, now that the rest of the marketplace is catching up with them?
“Whether you’re a seasoned ethical shopper, or just starting to think seriously about what you’re putting on your plate, we’ve done a lot of the detective work for you,” shop co-ordinator Peter Reay said.
“We put a lot of effort into finding food that’s clean and green, organic, fair-traded when we can get it, and with minimal food miles. As much as possible we favour small, local suppliers, and we’re plastic-free.
“We aim to make it easier to make healthy, ethical choices. Our chocolate’s organic, the coffee’s fair trade and our bread’s made on the Tablelands.”
Beth cites Community Foods’ relationship with its olive oil supplier as an example of what shopping is like when it’s not for profit.
“If you’re choosing oil in a supermarket you might be wondering whether it’s organic, whether it really is what it says it is on the label, whethhopes er it contains palm oil that might have contributed to deforestation, and how far it’s travelled.
“We source our olive oil from the Riverina district in New South Wales. It’s grown organically on a four-hectare plot and we’ve been supporting that family business for 18 years. If you bring your own bottle we’ll give you a five per cent discount, but you can also pick up one we’ve already filled for you.”
Now at 74 Shields St (between Fasta Pasta and Cairns Central), Community Foods to grow so it can thrive for another 20 years. Revamping the kitchen so it can offer classes, and upgrading the IT system to enable online shopping are just two initiatives planned. For more information visit comfoods.org.au or drop into the shop.