Context
In recent years, the Fédération des coops d’alimentation du Québec (FCAQ) has observed a growing number of financial challenges among its members. The FCAQ attributes these difficulties to what it describes as an “inflation crisis.” Emerging in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and intensifying around 2022, this crisis has been characterized by rising operating costs and interest rates, higher wages, shrinking profit margins as a result of promotional flyer discounts, reduced liquidity, and a net decline in the average basket value.
In a situation report prepared in July 2025, the FCAQ indicated that, since 2021, fourteen cooperatives had been forced to close their doors, while approximately ten others were experiencing significant financial difficulties or were undergoing a financial recovery process.
Project Objective
In response to this increasingly challenging economic environment, the FCAQ seeks to gain a better understanding of the internal and external factors that enable certain food cooperatives to maintain their economic viability, while others struggle to remain in operation. To achieve this objective, the FCAQ engaged the expertise of the CISA to conduct four case studies, each focusing on a different food cooperative.