(en) Turkey, DAF - Meydan #23 - Syn Allois Cooperative (tr)
[machine translation]
Each summer, raw coffee from Chiapas, the free lands of Greece, after the Athens port is
parched, packed and is ready for distribution. Produced outside the capitalist mode of
production and distribution networks in the Zapatista coffee held in Greece Syn Allois
distributed through cooperative Europe's many points. ---- In Athens, Greece, in 2011,
emerged as a solidarity economy cooperative ALLIOS Syn, in Greek "with others" means. "The
current dominant economic model in Greek society when we were also involved at a time
leads to anger desperation we decided to act in this way," said the coffee solidarity
economy model with cooperative from Ilias Ziogas, we talked about the functioning of the
cooperative's objectives. ---- Square : Hello. What is the purpose Cooperative ALLIOS Syn?
Ilias Ziogas: We have two goals; First, a significant need for a decent life and to our
collective solution with socially useful work. Second, except for the way our society's
destructive neo-liberal capitalism by experiencing different economic models show that it
is possible alternatives.
Syn Allois product access and distribution of products How is it done?
Product is not an object we will take profits by selling cheap expensive for us;
objectified state chain of holistic relationship between humans and nature. Our goal is to
ensure the emergence of trust and mutual benefits and long-term stable relationship in
this chain.
This philosophy, in our coffee from Chiapas and the Zapatista manufacturer we also supply
the Greek cooperatives and producer. We do public sale through our shop in Athens, besides
our distribution, initiatives and a wide network of solidarity economy is going through a
very low economic profit participation wishing to small shops.
"Solidarity economy" Can you talk briefly about your economic model is defined as?
This is not to achieve economic profit, seeks the best way to eliminate the people's
needs; people "factors of production and consumption" sees not as equal participants
located in all areas of economic processes, focuses on the collective level. More
importantly, targeting the continuity of growth not come with ecological destruction.
How Syn Allois in working conditions?
5 people working in cooperatives, equally dividing up work in shifts. (Which still quite
modest) Our fee is equally distributed to everyone. Our goal is to achieve a reasonable
fee for everyone, and if we continue to grow, including cooperatives by more people,
reduce our selling prices or other solidarity economy by helping to socialize the benefits
of the project.
How did you contact the Chiapas?
Our connection with the Zapatista movement is based on very old. Distribution of coffee in
Greece unofficially began through the Zapatista people involved in the project in 2004,
Chiapas solidarity. Coffee early in Europe which was first imported coffee Zapatista the
collective took Caf? Libertad in Germany, but then "He Sporos" (Seed) name, to make a
cooperative import directly into Greece of volunteers and generally began to experiment on
solidarity swap . We, a workers' cooperative, the "Allois Syne" in the birthplace through
this cooperative member. That is our source of inspiration was the Zapatista movement.
Curious how to organize coffee to be brought to Greece from Chiapas? The coffee roasting,
packaging and so on. How does the process?
Zapatista coffee cooperatives, coffee is responsible for their own costs of the whole
procedure and since the exit port of Vera Cruz in Mexico. Until you reach the port of
coffee in Athens From this point on insurance, are obliged to cover all expenses, such as
transportation. These costs are going up about 5% of the original value of coffee.
We import about 15 tons per year in the Zapatista coffee. Coordinating the import and
coffee in the other Zapatista to provide a common communication medium with the
cooperative, including the redprozap a network of coffee selling Zapatista solidarity
groups and co-operatives in Europe. Thus, the price and quantity of imports is revealed at
the end of a process of solidarity and cooperation among all producers and offset all the
particular needs of the recipient. Coffee market prices do not follow or even know the
price fair trade standards; instead, manufacturers can respond to the needs and
limitations of solidarity receiver, usually the price that you are paying much higher than
the market price. We also pay about 6 months before the delivery of 60% of the value of
the coffee producers ferret meet the costs in advance.
