Collective - Constitution - Philosophy

How We Do It

An alternative way of organisation...

Wholefoods is run by a Collective which uses consensus to make decisions. It is also non-hierarchical.

Put simply, this means that we have no boss or manager making decisions while ignoring the needs and desires of those most affected by them.

Instead we have a group of people called the Wholefoods Collective who sit down each week and discuss anything and everything to do with Wholefoods. People who attend Collective meetings include staff, volunteers, plus anyone interested in learning more about us.

Under a voting system, decisions can sometimes mean that some get their way and some don't, which can divide the group into winners and losers, with losers sometimes becoming disgruntled and leaving. On the other hand, consensus decision making demands that all members be more caring, responsible and fair with each other. This allows for a culture of cooperation and respect.

This process isn't always easy and involves a lot of energy, time, and committment to each other. But it does mean greater empowerment for those who care about Wholefoods.

An alternative way of eating

At Wholefoods, we're conscious of the consequences of the way we eat.

There aren't disposable coffee cups at Wholefoods - we'd prefer you to sit down and enjoy the atmosphere. And if we do serve you lunch in a container, it'll be your own which you can re-use.

Most of our ingredients are also organic which means less pesticides, more nutrients, fewer food additives, and greater health benefits. And if you ask what we put into something, we'll give you a list of vegies, herbs and spices - not a list of numbers and words we can't pronounce.

It's becoming well known that going vegetarian is good for the environment, world hunger and your health, yet there is still a perception that vegetarian food is boring.

At Wholefoods, we aim to provide tasty vegetarian and vegan meals each day to show that you can be kind to the earth, people, other animals and yourself, all while keeping your taste buds happy.

-- JeanetteDeFoe - 28 Jan 2009