Medya Consumer Cooperative (Medya Tüketim Kooperatifi) is or was a co-operative market in Van. It was the first of its kind in Kurdistan, aiming to set an example as a pioneer that binds together producers at the neighbourhood level.
The co-op aims to support local producers by buying their products at their own prices and selling it at the same price, cutting out the middle man. This stimulates employment in production by encouraging the producers to carry on with production when they can see that their products have increased in value. They also aim to reduce the role of money.
The producer brings their products and collects the money themselves once they are sold. Or, if a beekeeper, for example, sells their products, they can choose to take products that they need in return, instead of the money.
An interview from December 2015 reports the co-op has been open 7 months. At that time there are 183 members, with 4 people working in the market, which sells sesame oil from Bitlis, pepper from Amed, olive and olive oil from the Erih and Riha region.
Medya Co-operative is connected to a women’s co-operative named Bika-Koop where products are also sold, as well as a beekeepers’ co-operative and others.
According to later reports, “it is difficult to say whether this co-operative has been successful at achieving its goal of bringing small village producers’ products to the consumers in the city.”
