Co-Designing a Food Delivery Platform Co-operative
Developing an understanding of the challenges facing a food delivery platform co-operative
Partners
Project Lead
James Muldoon, University of ExeterProject Type
Funded ProjectThe food delivery industry in the UK is big business, however, there remains a lack of employment law protections for many self-employed workers. This project aimed to develop an understanding of the challenges facing a food delivery platform co-operative and to co-design principles, strategies and systems to overcome these challenges. The project engaged in an initial literature review on food delivery platforms in order to understand why these workers were seeking a more ethical alternative.
The team then reached out to new platform co-operatives in the sector, Through interviews, data on business operations was gathered from five UK based co-operatives: the Doorstep Collective in London, Chorlton Bike Deliveries, Manchester CoopCycle, the York Collective and Bristol CoopCycle.
The project produced the paper Delivering Rights: Alternatives in the Online Food Economy looking at food delivery co-operatives as alternatives to the current food delivery platform model. Problems with the existing platform system include tendency to monopoly, poor working conditions and inequality. An alternative path is tracked that integrates more equal outcomes. New infrastructure is proposed including rider service stations, rest and meeting zones and dedicated dispatch zones. A How to Launch a Food Co-operative guide was produced in collaboration with CoopCycle and Cooperatives UK. The team hope to work with these co-operatives to produce further studies with the help of local council grants.
© Not-Equal.tech 2025