Bridgehead Coffee Case Study

The current state of the globalized economy and the principals of neoliberalism exemplify the concept of having too much of a “good thing”. In this case the concept of free trade, as a good thing, can be debated. The current intensity of free trade global structure has led to exploitation of workers, communities and the global South. It empowers major corporations, both in the North and corporations run by elites in the South, to further deteriorate working wages, standards and well beings. Profit has been shifted above people, and many are seeking an alternative to these negative externalities. The alternative in this case, is more of a redirection rather than a complete dismantling of the current market economy. The social economy aims to make the market more human. In this case analysis, the concept of social economy as a viable alternative will be analyzed through the use of Bridgehead Coffee, a social enterprise based in Ottawa. It is within this analysis and the benefits of its position within the social economy that Bridgehead Coffee finds its space in achieving social impact for the environment and small-scale framers. These benefits, however, are juxtaposed against some commonly debated …show more content…
Additionally, when the social economy is spoken of, its benefits are trumpeted as the all-encompassing solution to the inefficacies and exclusions of the current market and state dynamic, there is a lot of pressure on the fact that human are inherently good people and that if enough companies and organizations switch the social economy they will convince everyone too. I think this notion of going all the way local and all the way civil sector can be dangerous in regards to the potential ghettoization associated with local initiatives and the idealism regarding