Amid controversy surrounding Panda Express' potential move to campus, students are proposing an alternative they feel is more consistent with Berkeley values-a student-run food cooperative.

Co-op advocates hope to stop Panda Express from coming to campus and to use the space currently set aside for the restaurant for the food cooperative instead, said Megan Coontz, vice president of external affairs for the Berkeley Student Cooperative.

However, Store Operations Board officials say the plan currently lacks an organized business model, while the Panda Express contract could be finalized in the coming weeks.

Coontz said she is actively looking for support from local businesses for the co-op.

"We're doing outreach to Arizmendi, we're doing outreach to Nabolom, Cheeseboard, pretty much most of the food cooperatives in this area, also Zachary's Pizza," Coontz said.

She added that co-ops incorporate helping other cooperatives into their value systems, in a pay-it-forward scheme. In particular, the Berkeley Student Cooperative is reserving $20,000 in initial funding for the food co-op, according to Coontz.

The proposal comes after students raised concerns about Panda Express' food quality and sustainability practices. Cooperative Movement

Senator Christina Oatfield said the food cooperative would offer a better, more sustainable alternative.

"What would be really unique about it is that this food co-op would serve a lot of local foods, organic, fair trade certified, humanely produced and sustainably produced food," she said.

Alli Reed, a member of United Students for Fair Trade, said the co-op would most likely be based on the "Cheeseboard model," providing one or two items each day.

The co-op would also provide space for a bike share, a small grocery section and a place for musical and artistic performances, but this would depend on the space, Reed said.

Nadesan Permaul, director of the ASUC Auxiliary, stated that the ASUC's financial problems still need to be addressed urgently-and Panda Express could better alleviate them than a student-run co-op.

"The ASUC is in financial distress now," Permaul said. "It cannot wait for a year to get this all worked out."

Although he said he was not entirely opposed to the concept, Jordan Smith, head of the Store Operations Board, agreed that the co-op would not bring nearly as much revenue to the ASUC as Panda Express would.

"The main thing that we've been trying to encourage is that Panda Express and the food co-op are not mutually exclusive, we just have to find a place that works for each of them," he said.

However, Coontz said a student co-op would be especially viable during this economic climate.

"They flourish during times of economic need-our housing co-op started during the 1930s during the Great Depression," said Coontz. "When you pool your resources, you can provide the cheapest possible commodity."

Tags: BERKELEY STUDENT COOPERATIVE, PANDA EXPRESS