Cooperative Milk Vending Machines Pop Up In Greece

When I was little, milk was a beverage held with high esteem and supposed to be super healthy. Now, dairy in general just doesn’t have a good name with modern day health ‘gurus’. On top of this, it has came to light that the companies who loom over dairy farmers regularly and unfairly capitalize on them.

In an attempt too eradicate this exploitation, local milk farmers in Greece founded a cooperative called ‘Θες Γάλα, Πιες!’, which means ‘Thes Gala, Pies!’, or ‘Do you want milk, drink!’ in order to distribute their milk without intermediates. How are they doing this without the power of a corporation behind them? The milk is being sold via vending machines.

The cooperative was founded in 2010 and it soon became the first standardised cow milk production cooperative. Using their slogan “Associate differently”, the project seeks to defend the interests of its members, along with the provision of high quality milk to consumers at fair prices.

They pursue the goal of sustainable milk production through ensuring the quality of milk product, reducing production costs, increasing livestock productivity, improving the management level of the units and by developing synergies across the spectrum of the primary sector. Now it’s 2015 and the cooperative produces 130 tons per day, equivalent to 10% of the domestic production.