Context: Leveraging collective purchasing power is crucial for providing affordable, healthy, and sustainable food options, while empowering communities to reduce costs, promote local produce, and foster environmentally friendly practices.
Partners: Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), Consumers International (CI)
Duration: Established in 1975, ongoing as of today.
Location: Mumbai Metropolitan Region (Mumbai, Thane, Raigad areas), Pune and Ratnagiri districts, Maharashtra, India.
Impact Achieved:
Description:
Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) is a consumer-driven collective purchasing organization, established to provide households with affordable, healthy, and sustainable food options through the power of collective buying. Operating since 1975, MGP’s no-profit, no-loss model enables families to access essential groceries at a discount of over 20% compared to market prices. The initiative sources quality products directly from producers, reducing intermediaries and offering high-consumption items like grains, pulses, and spices on a monthly basis. MGP’s system involves voluntary participation, with families filling requisition slips to place bulk orders that are delivered through a network of distribution centers. In addition to making food more affordable, MGP supports environmental sustainability by reducing plastic usage and prioritizing local, healthy alternatives.
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