The Museum is open 11:00 – 19:00
Cinema is closed now
The Museum is open 11:00 – 19:00
Cinema is closed now
Debate
Warsaw Under Construction 18: Cooperatives as the Foundation of a Resilient Economy for the Future. Discussion
24.09.2026 18:00–20:00
Event as part of the Warsaw Under Construction 18: Sovereign and Well-Fed festival
LANGUAGE
Polish
ADMISSION
Free
Photo by Stiopa, CC BY-SA 3.0
Under foreign rule, consumer cooperatives were part of organic work: they allowed Poles to build their own economic institutions where there was no Polish state. A community store became a tool for autonomy. Today, corporate colonization of the food trade creates a similar network of dependencies and actions aimed at independence.
Cooperative projects—co-financed by members and based on their involvement—allow us to regain control over what ends up on our tables. Shared responsibility for a store, a distribution network, or cooperation among producers can today become a guarantee of high-quality food and the foundation of food sovereignty. Aleksandra Bilewicz, a researcher of cooperative history; Aneta Englot, president of the Board of the National Audit Union of the “Samopomoc Chłopska” Food Cooperative “Samopomoc Chłopska” in Warsaw, Aneta Englot; Katarzyna Maciąg, president of Kooperatywa Dobrze; and Ryszard Jaśkowski, president of the Board of the National Audit Union of “Społem” Food Cooperatives. The discussion will be moderated by Alicja Wójcik, coordinator of the Food Sovereignty Coalition and co-curator of this year’s edition of the “Warsaw Under Construction” festival.
