Københavns Fødevarefællesskab (KBHFF) is a member-based and member-driven food co-operative in Copenhagen, Denmark. KBHFF is an alternative to the ordinary profit-driven supermarket chains. We have eight departments around Copenhagen.
We offer local, seasonal, organic and biodynamic produce with lots of taste and quality at affordable prices. Read more about our principles below.
- To us “consumer influence” is not just the opportunity to choose between different brands and groceries. In KBHFF, the customers are members, owners and co-workers.
- As a member you can buy cheap, seasonal, locally produced organic fruit and vegetables every week.
- Members are generally expected to put in three hours of work in the co-op every month (regular members only - see below). This could be packing vegetables in the shop, ordering vegetables, arranging debates, fixing the website, etc.
As co-owners of KBHFF, all members have a say in the operation and development of the co-op. All decisions regarding the products and economy are taken by the members of KBHFF, and every member has the opportunity to influence these decisions.
As a member-owned co-op, we only have to take care of the interest of our members. Any profit is used to reduce the price of the vegetables, develop the co-op or socially responsible projects in the city around us.
Read about the future of KBHFF here!
How does it work?
Anyone can become a member of KBHFF. As a member of KBHFF, you can buy a bag of organic fruit and/or vegetables in our local departments every week, as well as other products such as flour, honey, vegetable oil, jam, apple juice, etc.
Already a member and need guidance?
See our quick start guide (Danish and English) and our Q&A (only in Danish).
How to sign up?
You can sign up from home online or by coming to any department during the opening hours. See where to find our departments and when they are open on this page.
Types of memberships
Two types of memberships are possible.
You can choose either to be a regular member (volunteer = frivillig) or a "support" member (støttemedlem).
All members pay a one-time sign-up fee of 100 kr. when their account is created.
Every year in May, all members pay 200 kr. of yearly membership fee. The amount of this fee is discussed every year during the general assembly in April.
The price of retail produce and products is the same for all members. Extra bags (løssalgsposer) sometimes available in the retail section can be bought for 125 kr. regardless of your type of membership.
You can change membership type when it suits you but please remember to warn your local department to make sure they do not expect your help (if you become a supportmember) or that you get assigned to a team for your shift (if you become a volunteer). You can contact departments here.
Regular members (volunteers / frivillige)
- You have to contribute to the organisation by working 3 hours every month. Many different working groups and shift types are possible (packing produce, welcoming members in the departments, website communication, logistics, driver, board, IT, etc.). Write to your local department or check our Wiki to join a team.
- The price of a vegetable bag is 115 kr. (100 kr. for the rest of 2021)
- A fruit bag is 55 kr.
- Seasonally available: Potato bag at 19 kr. / Asparagus bag at 55 kr. / Mushroom bag at 30 kr.
Support members (støttemedlemmer)
- You are not expected to volunteer.
- The price of a vegetable bag is 140 kr.
- A fruit bag is 55 kr.
- Seasonally available: Potato bag at 19 kr. / Asparagus bag at 55 kr. / Mushroom bag at 30 kr.
Products and orders
You need to pre-order your bag in one of our local departments or via the internet (at least one week in advance) and pick it up on a Wednesday afternoon in your local department.
Retail produce and other "shelf-products" can be bought on the same day and do not need to be pre-ordered (but check with your department for availability).
You can pre-order for several weeks at once, or just for the following week. You are under no obligation to buy a set amount of bags a month.
The weekly bag typically contains 6-8 different kinds of locally produced and seasonally based organic fruit and vegetables.
Note that it is your own responsibility to pick up your bag during opening hours. If you forget to pick up your bag, we won’t refund your order.
To see more examples of bag composition, look at our ugens pose (bag of the week) and archives.
Our principles
At an extended meeting held on 8 April 2010, the members of the KBHFF Food Coop adopted a list of 10 core principles, as described below. These core principles represent the values on which KBHFF makes decisions and operates as an association. As the caption suggests, the aim of the organisation is to bring sustainable organic produce within the reach of all.
KBHFF intends to become part of a sustainable future. These 10 core values are designed to ensure sustainability at all levels of the cycle of which KBHFF is a part.
THE FOODSTUFFS WE OFFER TO OUR MEMBERS SHALL BE:
1– ORGANICALLY GROWN AND PRODUCED
This definition requires our foodstuffs to be grown in accordance with organic and/or biodynamic principles. This requirement is satisfied by any form of cultivation which neither causes soil degradation nor increase the amount of artificial chemicals, non-animal fertiliser, or pesticides in the ground or elsewhere in the natural environment, but, instead, is based on sound and sustainable farming, water resource management, biodiversity and animal welfare.
2 – GROWN AS LOCALLY AS POSSIBLE
The distance between the soil and the table has a decisive impact on the freshness, taste and nutritional value of raw foodstuffs. The shorter the distance fresh foods are moved between the point of harvesting and the place where they are eaten, the greater the added value in terms of the environment.
Shortening the distance between the point of harvest and the point of consumption has a direct benefit in that it correspondingly reduces the pollution generated by the means of transport. By supporting local production of foodstuffs, we help to preserve the characteristic skills and culture which have been developed over time to enable foodstuff production in our local sub-climatic zone.
3 – SEASONAL
Our choice of produce shall reflect the seasonal variations. If the natural growing season for any product can be extended by the use of a greenhouse, we will normally support this method if it makes the produce available for a longer period of the year. This will, however, not apply if the greenhouse is artificially heated, which would, in fact, negate the envionmental benefit of a longer growing season.
OUR PRODUCE SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED IN A WAY THAT:
4 – SUPPORTS FAIR AND DIRECT TRADING
Many farmers and producers find it difficult to sell at reasonable prices, which threatens their livelihood, and may lead to negative social and environmental consequences at both the local and the global level. We will ensure that the supply chain between KBHFF and the producers is as short as possible, by developing direct personal business relationships where possible. We are aware of our own purchasing power, and should, therefore, ensure that our influence is felt through our consistent support to fair and direct trading.
5 – IS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
We will reduce our Carbon footprint by using resources in a careful and diligent manner. This may include the avoidance of waste, recycling, and the circular use of environment friendly materials where possible.
6 – DISSEMINATES AND UPGRADES KNOWLEDGE ON FOODSTUFFS AND ECOLOGY
We will seek to make consumers more aware of how the food they eat actually reaches their shopping baskets. We firmly believe that giving consumers more knowledge, and putting them in touch with the soil that nurtures them, will not only make them more likely to support KBHFF, but also better equip them to make sustainable foodstuff choices in future. An important element in this is to share our knowledge of how to set up and run a food coop, and to inspire others to start something similar in their own neighbourhoods.
7 – IS FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE AND INDEPENDENT
To ensure that KBHFF can grow and play a significant role in a sustainable future, we must be able to stand on our own feet without depending on external financial support; in achieving this, we will be less vulnerable to the changing priorities of various public and private actors. This means that we must always ensure that our operating costs are fully covered by KBHFFs own income and by the value-added by the voluntary work of our members.
8 – IS TRANSPARENT AND PROMOTES MUTUAL TRUST AT ALL LEVELS OF THE SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION CHAIN
We are open and honest in all our financial transactions and in all aspects of our procurement. This applies equally – and mutually – in our supplier relations, and in relation to how we use any surplus income which might accrue.
9 – IS CLOSE AT HAND AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE
We will work to make organic produce a regular and natural part of our daily lives, rather than a gourmet luxury reserved for the few. KBHFF will always be close at hand and easily accessible to our members, at a price they can afford. We will make organic foodstuffs available at a fair price, and will always prioritise quality and sustainability over price.
10 – IS DRIVEN BY A LOCAL COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER.
KBHFF shall be able to accomodate and promote more than just the supply of cheap and good foodstuffs. Our ambition is to make KBHFF a platform on which members together can base positive and locally based initiatives in the places we live and work. Such a platform will make it possible for our members to find and work with others with similar needs, aspirations and interests, and to make a real contribution to the local community.