Thursday, on March 6, the festive launch of the Groen Coöperatie (Green Cooperative) took place in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, organised together with various practical partners. The goal was to present the Groen Coöperatie, actively connect with the neighborhood, and explore the opportunities and challenges surrounding green management together with residents and green partners.
How can initiatives and partner organizations strengthen each other, and what ideas do residents have to improve the greenery in Nieuw-West?
The Groen Cooperative is an initiative by Buro Regen en Water, the Stadsboerderij, and several gardeners and freelancers, who were supported in its establishment by the Community Wealth Building team of the Municipality of Amsterdam. The cooperative focuses on designing, installing, managing, and maintaining greenery in Nieuw-West together with residents. They do this in a way that promotes biodiversity, contributes to climate adaptation, and actively involves the neighborhood.
The day began with a cup of coffee or tea and a slice of homemade cake in the spring sunshine at Stadsboerderij Osdorp – the home base of the Groen Coöperatie. Afterwards, Martin and Ivo shared insights about the launch and the vision of the cooperative, and a video from YOU (Young Osdorp United) was shown. In this video, we saw what it’s like to work at the Groen Cooperative.
Cooperatively work for assignments and the Community Economy
What is special about the Groen Coöperatie is that the employees are members, giving them a say in the cooperative’s direction. This creates more equality and involvement, enabling residents to truly engage in entrepreneurship together. The cooperative also aims to offer residents a good job, training, or meaningful daily activities, and both those with and without green thumbs can become members. As Ferdinand from the green cooperative said: “As long as you are willing to learn!”
Now that the Groen Cooperative has been established, assignments related to green projects can be accepted, which the cooperative members can carry out. This creates a local community economy: instead of green projects going to large parties without a connection to the city and without fair wages for their employees, the cooperative ensures that residents can work on the greenery in their own neighborhood in a pleasant way and with fair pay. Because the members have a say in, and ownership over the direction of the cooperative, the Groen Coöperatie is a great example of the community economy. Economic and social value are not extracted but remain within the community.
Resident Involvement
In addition to carrying out the green work and creating jobs, resident involvement is central to the Groen Cooperative. For the launch, both the green partners and initiatives from Nieuw-West, as well as residents with a passion for green spaces, were invited to join the discussion. What opportunities and challenges exist in the neighborhood? What is the role of the Groen Cooperative? And how can steps be taken together?
The day concluded with the communal planting of a tree—a symbolic ending to celebrate the beginning of the cooperative together!
Just as the tree will take root and grow in the neighbourhood, we hope that the cooperative will firmly establish itself alongside residents, thereby creating sustainable engagement and a positive impact for residents, the greenery of Nieuw-West, and the local community economy.
All photos taken by Romy Aimée.