EP#11: Building a Fairer Food Future Together using Cooperatives

---

What does it take to reimagine food systems in Malaysia from the ground up? 

EP#11: Building a Fairer Food Future Together

In this episode of Cultivating Change, Nova and Tamanna sit down with three members of Kongsi Co-op — Siu Hou, Callie, and Samantha — to explore how a cooperative model can transform the way we grow, distribute, and consume food.

Born during the pandemic, Kongsi C-op is more than a marketplace. It’s a community-owned enterprise that connects farmers and consumers through shared risk, shared responsibility, and shared vision. From their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programme known as the ‘Kongsi FoodBag Subscription’ to Kongsi Academy, they’re reshaping consumer education in the country and championing local organic farmers in the face of climate challenges and consumers increasingly choosing supermarkets over local “wet markets”.

The conversation also dives into their boldest initiative yet: Fund A Land — a community land trust model to preserve farmland for future generations, starting with GK Farm, whose owners have been practicing organic farming for over 30 years. Along the way, we unpack the philosophy of co-ownership, the realities of governance and transparency in Malaysia, and why true “dividends” go beyond money — they’re measured in healthy soil, clean rivers, and empowered farmers.

Show notes

03:00 – 05:00 Meet the guests: Siu Hou, Callie, and Samantha from Kongsi Coop.

05:00 – 08:00 How the idea for Kongsi Coop began during the pandemic.

08:00 – 12:00 Why a cooperative model? Lessons from Taiwan and South Korea.

12:00 – 15:00 Callie’s journey: from early days of Justlife organic retail to pushing beyond retail into systemic change.

15:00 – 18:00 Community events, carnivals, and the limits of being “just a retailer.”

18:00 – 22:00 Samantha’s story: from wellness and TCM to starting an organic café and fermentation workshops.

22:00 – 26:00 The lockdown, moving operations into a townhouse, and launching fermentation entrepreneurship programmes.

26:00 – 30:00 Siu Hou’s transition from engineering and banking into cooperative development.

30:00 – 34:00 Governance and accountability: transparency, internal auditing, and building trust among members.

34:00 – 38:00 Culture of support — why co-owners step in to share responsibility and keep the co-op values intact.

38:00 – 42:00 Kongsi Academy: why education is one of the two main pillars of the co-op.

42:00 – 47:00 Experiential learning: cooking, eating together, and “hands-on first” workshops.

47:00 – 50:00 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in Malaysia: the idea of consumers sharing the risks of farming.

50:00 – 54:00 Challenges of CSA: cooking less at home, narrow consumer expectations, and supermarkets shaping taste.

54:00 – 58:00 Seasonal eating and “ugly vegetables” — reintroducing diversity to diets.

58:00 – 1:02:00 Changing habits through education: from sweet potato leaves to Brazilian spinach.

1:02:00 – 1:07:00 Fund A Land explained: from GK Farm’s land sale to creating a community land trust.

1:07:00 – 1:12:00 What does “co-owning” really mean? Redefining ownership as responsibility, not entitlement.

1:12:00 – 1:16:00 Why farmland is disappearing: urban development pressures and ageing farmers.

1:16:00 – 1:20:00 Land trusts as a solution: protecting soil, livelihoods, and food for future generations.

1:20:00 – 1:23:00 Advocacy: GMO seed legislation and working with NGOs on seed sovereignty.

1:23:00 – 1:25:00 Closing reflections — hopes for the next 5–10 years of Kongsi Coop.

Additional Resources

1. Subscribe to a Kongsi Food Bag here.
2. Learn how you can support Kongsi Co-op’s Fund A Land initiative here.
3. Discover Cornwall Park (NZ Community Land Trust Example).

Special thanks to Kongsi Co-op, for sharing their experiences and insights about cooperatives in Malaysia and how they can be used to create more awareness about our farmers and to build more equitable food systems for tomorrow. 

Creator and host: Nova Nelson.
Executive Producer, and researcher:  Tamanna Patel.
Follow us on Instagram
Visit us at Cultivate Central

About Cultivating Change

Cultivating Change is a podcast where we unearth Southeast Asia's regenerative food stories. From smallholder farmers to urban growers, researchers to environmentalists and food entrepreneurs to community organisers. We speak to those making an impact. Whether they are re-imagining local food systems, re-connecting us to healthier sustainable food or re-generating landscapes through agriculture. This is not just a podcast. It's a recipe for change.