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Berkeley Student Food Collective
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Berkeley Student Food Collective
The Berkeley Student Food Collective (BSFC) is a collectively-operated nonprofit grocery market founded by students of the University of California, Berkeley. The 650-square-foot storefront is located across the street from the university, on Bancroft Way.
The market aims to expand access to organic, locally sourced, fair trade and whole foods, including through EBT incentives. The collective also aims to educate its community about food systems and their environmental, social and political impacts; to this end, the organization hosts and supports events for members and the public.
In 2009, the national fast food chain Panda Express attempted to open a restaurant on Lower Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus, an area run by the ASUC student government. Students were angered that a business they considered to be unhealthy, unsustainable and unrepresentative of their community was coming to their space and began a campaign to prevent its opening. A petition against Panda Express gathered 1,300 signatures, and students held demonstrations at ASUC Store Operations Board planning meetings.
This movement inspired students to create their own business that represented their interests and provided better food options for the campus community by creating a grocery storefront. Students won a $91,000 grant from UC Berkeley's The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF). Campus officials referred students to a space once occupied by a nail salon, where they ultimately opened the store on November 15, 2010. Early supporters included Michael Pollan and the Berkeley Student Cooperative. The cooperative was the inspiration for the Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFED), an organization helping students form sustainable food businesses on college campuses.
Several thousand dollars were stolen from the collective in December 2014, leading to a fundraising campaign.
The collective temporarily closed its storefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, the collective sought to relocate to the student union, across the street from the existing location. Facing opposition from the ASUC Student Union Board, the collective started a petition.
The student food collective has a physical store on Bancroft Way, near the UC Berkeley campus. The store offers a variety of produce, prepared foods, snacks, cleaning supplies, and other refrigerated and packaged goods. The physical store is open from Monday to Sunday, with shorter operating hours on Saturday and Sunday. The collective also offers bulk ordering of items normally offered in-store.
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Berkeley Student Food Collective
The Berkeley Student Food Collective (BSFC) is a collectively-operated nonprofit grocery market founded by students of the University of California, Berkeley. The 650-square-foot storefront is located across the street from the university, on Bancroft Way.
The market aims to expand access to organic, locally sourced, fair trade and whole foods, including through EBT incentives. The collective also aims to educate its community about food systems and their environmental, social and political impacts; to this end, the organization hosts and supports events for members and the public.
In 2009, the national fast food chain Panda Express attempted to open a restaurant on Lower Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus, an area run by the ASUC student government. Students were angered that a business they considered to be unhealthy, unsustainable and unrepresentative of their community was coming to their space and began a campaign to prevent its opening. A petition against Panda Express gathered 1,300 signatures, and students held demonstrations at ASUC Store Operations Board planning meetings.
This movement inspired students to create their own business that represented their interests and provided better food options for the campus community by creating a grocery storefront. Students won a $91,000 grant from UC Berkeley's The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF). Campus officials referred students to a space once occupied by a nail salon, where they ultimately opened the store on November 15, 2010. Early supporters included Michael Pollan and the Berkeley Student Cooperative. The cooperative was the inspiration for the Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFED), an organization helping students form sustainable food businesses on college campuses.
Several thousand dollars were stolen from the collective in December 2014, leading to a fundraising campaign.
The collective temporarily closed its storefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, the collective sought to relocate to the student union, across the street from the existing location. Facing opposition from the ASUC Student Union Board, the collective started a petition.
The student food collective has a physical store on Bancroft Way, near the UC Berkeley campus. The store offers a variety of produce, prepared foods, snacks, cleaning supplies, and other refrigerated and packaged goods. The physical store is open from Monday to Sunday, with shorter operating hours on Saturday and Sunday. The collective also offers bulk ordering of items normally offered in-store.