NCBA - National Cooperative Business Association

07/28/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/28/2026 16:32

The Daily digs into how food co-ops are navigating high food prices

East End Food Co-op's Tyler Kulp shares the constant balancing act of negotiating with suppliers, shifting margins between products, and trying to keep staple foods affordable. [photo courtesy East End Food Co-op]As grocery bills keep climbing, many shoppers are left asking the same question: Why are food prices so high?

That's the question a recent episode of The Daily from The New York Times explores. It follows Tyler Kulp, general manager of NCBA member East End Food Co-op in Pittsburgh, as he walks listeners through the economics behind today's grocery prices.

Rather than pointing to a single culprit, the episode reveals the complex web of production costs, transportation, labor and supply chain pressures that shape the price of food long before it reaches the checkout lane.

For cooperatives, however, the story goes one step further. Food co-ops have long embraced a level of transparency that traditional grocery stores rarely offer. Because they're owned by the people who shop there, co-ops regularly share how pricing decisions are made, why margins matter and how every dollar supports fair wages, local producers and a resilient food system-not distant shareholders.

In uncertain economic times, that openness helps build something just as valuable as affordable food: trust.

Listen to the full episode

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