Syn Allois - Athens (Greece)

Syn Allois is a Greek workers’ cooperative specialized in wholesaling and retailing both Fair Trade food products from the Global South and local products from Greek small, sustainable and ethical producers/manufacturers (only retailing in this case).  Syn Allois was created in Athens in 2011 as a professional follow-up of the cooperative Sporos, which was run on voluntary basis by a group of political activists, by 5 of its former members. The offer is mainly focused on food, but also includes other product categories (artesanal, cosmetics, detergents).

In order to analyse the concerns and relative goals that orient Syn Allois, as well as the mechanisms and actions that characterize it, we interviewed 8 different persons connected to the initiative: 6 of its members, and two of its partners: a Greek producer and a Greek ethical eco-grocery shop.

Interviews highlighted that the founding values shared by members decisively orient the goals of Syn Allois: “democratizing the economy”, local and rural development, antiracism, and environmentally non-destructive practices. The table below summarizes the key concerns and goals of the initiative:

Syn Allois is a prominent actor integrated in a value-based network of consumers, farmers, social enterprises and alternative political movements in Greece. The use of the  cooperative form as legal and organizational structure is essential to the establishment of long-term partnerships with local farmers and eaters. In this way, Syn Allois members create an alternative market ecosystem where small Greek farmers can sell their products to urban eaters with limited intermediation, obtaining a remuneration that is higher than the average without being a niche product. The table below summarizes the key mechanisms and actions operated by the initiative to attain its goals: