Ethics

AN INTRODUCTION TO
DAILY BREAD (CAMBRIDGE) LTD

Contents:

* History
* Objectives
* Giving through Strive
* Epilogue

The original Daily Bread Co-operative was established in Northampton by a group of nine Christians. They had been meeting together in their homes since 1974 and one of their concerns was how to take the Christian message of sharing and mutual support into the workplace. Their response was to form a worker co-operative - a business owned and controlled by its workers. The Northampton co-operative began trading in 1980 and has grown steadily since then, increasing both its workforce and turnover.

Daily Bread Co-operative (Cambridge) Ltd., hereafter referred to as 'DBCC', was founded in 1990 by one of the members from Northampton. It shared the same objectives as the Northampton Co-operative and began trading, in the King's Hedges area of the city, with 5 full-time workers on December 1st 1992. The business has received the support of a wide variety of organisations and has grown so that, at the start of 2005, there are 20 full time and several more part-time volunteers workers. This document is designed to give you an introduction into our business and working practices.
pic of peanuts

OBJECTIVES of DBCC

We trade as retailers of wholefoods, organic and fairly traded goods. Our quality products are excellent value for money and the food has high nutritional value. We also stock a wide variety of foods and books for people with special dietary needs and are actively involved in food-related issues. So, for example, we stock a range of gluten-free products, food approved by the Vegan Society and we do not knowingly sell anything that has been 'genetically modified'. We try to promote a healthy diet wherever and whenever possible.

*  We are also a business that has explicit spiritual and social objectives:
*  We aim to ensure that our Christian faith determines our relationships and is central to the way that we approach our work.
*  We aim to be responsible stewards of the earth: our environment and community.
*  We aim to be involved in the correction of injustices in society through the practice and promotion of equality.
*  We aim to ensure that our Christian faith determines our relationships and is central to the way that we approach our work.

As a Christian company, we believe that all people are of equal value. This is a fundamental principle that determines our working practices and business structure. It is a belief that is founded in the creation stories of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. All Human Beings are said to have been made in the image of God and are therefore equal in His sight, and Jesus taught the importance of valuing everyone equally, regardless of their abilities or social background.

In order to live out our faith in the workplace and in recognition that it is difficult to value people equally within a hierarchical structure, we are a worker co-operative with no management structure. At DBCC we do not have any individual(s) 'in charge'. As a worker co-operative, we are all equally responsible for the business and are all accountable to one another: we have a weekly business meeting at which we discuss issues before making a collective decision.

The principle of equality is applied throughout all aspects of the business at DBCC. So, for example, we all receive equal pay, rights and opportunities. It could be argued that equal pay does not acknowledge that individuals could have different needs. However, it does encourage us to seek ways in which we can support each other, both inside and outside of the workplace, thereby strengthening our relationships further.

These co-operative working practices have created an environment that many find similar to that of a family: everyone contributes to the success of the business and they are able to show emotional and practical concern for each other. This is an environment that people with mental health needs have found helpful and we are therefore recognised as a 'Social Firm'.

DBCC is also a 'not-for-profit' business. This means that although we seek to create a surplus, in order to cover our costs and to continue to create as many new jobs as possible, this is purposefully restricted to ensure that we do not become greedy and begin to pursue wealth for it's own sake. This sentiment is perhaps best expressed through our company motto: 'People Before Profit'.

We also believe it is important to spend part of our working day in a shared activity which helps us to focus our worship and reflect upon our faith. This can take many forms as it is led by everyone in turn as they feel able. As an ecumenical group, this time often challenges and strengthens our relationships and faith, and also allows us to share in a time of communion together.

We aim to be responsible stewards of the earth: our environment and community.

We believe that our business and working practices should be as sustainable as possible. So, for example, we package our products with as little material as possible and what we do use is 'environmentally friendly'. We also pack by hand, in order to create as much employment as possible: in a society in which jobs are becoming more temporary and people are de-valued, we are trying to reverse this trend and re-assert the value of people.

It is our policy to stock and promote organic foods wherever and whenever possible, as we believe in the importance of responsible and sustainable agricultural practices. Likewise, we are also concerned with the way new food technologies are used, and so do not knowingly stock any products that contain 'Genetically Modified Organisms'.

We also believe that we have a responsibility to our local community, and we are therefore involved in local projects aimed at improving people’s health and livelihoods. We also seek to source goods from local producers where possible, in an attempt to strengthen local communities and to ensure that producers are getting a fair price for their goods.

We aim to be involved in the correction of injustices in society through the practice and promotion of equality.

We believe that the source of all injustices can be traced to an unequal valuing of people and that this can be seen in the divisions that exist within society: in healthcare, education and the distribution of wealth.

These kinds of injustices are promoted through hierarchical systems and it is for this reason that we have no formal management (or power) structures - everyone is encouraged to be as fully involved, as they feel able. It is this determination to address injustices that also informs our ethical trading policies.

All of our products are sourced as ethically as possible. We attempt to stock goods that carry the FairTrade mark, but if that is not possible, we will seek guarantees from suppliers that they are not involved in practices or issues with which we are opposed; such as the exploitation of workers or natural resources, irresponsible marketing practices etc.

We also seek to encourage and support other co-operatives and social firms through a variety of different means: the development of trading relationships and the sharing of ideas and experiences, including worker exchanges.
CHARITABLE GIVING THROUGH "STRIVE"

Although we are aware that charitable giving is not going to eradicate the causes of injustice in this world, we do give some of our income to support projects that empower people who have suffered from unfair trading practices.

We give this money through an organisation called 'STRIVE', a charity that seeks to train and educate people in order to help them break the cycle of poverty.
EPILOGUE

We believe that co-operatives are a successful and viable alternative to traditional structures and that the continuing success of DBCC is a living testament to this fact. Our annually increasing sales, our ability to employ more people every year and our ability to provide increasing support to our community demonstrate how many problems in the world could be successfully addressed.

This document is intended to introduce Daily Bread Cambridge - our working practices and our motivations and inspirations. It is not intended as a definitive theological work. However, we are happy to talk about what we do and what we believe, and we therefore welcome discussion either in person or via our website bulletin board.