WHAT IS A CO-OP?
CO-OPS: A USER OWNED, DEMOCRATICALLY OWNED BUSINESS
People form cooperatives -- user-owned, democratically-controlled businesses -- for many reasons. Co-ops can:
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address market failures where neither the private sector nor the government provide a needed service,
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help small players gain parity with large investor-owned competitors, or
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give consumers a deliberate choice of enterprise to better meet their common needs and aspirations.
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Regardless of the reason, the very structure of a cooperative requires that it be responsive to its member-owners, and in turn to the local community. The nature of cooperatives is inherently both locally-based and participatory, embodying a direct connection between member needs and the services provided.
THE 7 COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES
Cooperatives around the world operate according to the same core principles and values. Co-ops trace the roots of these principles to the first modern cooperative founded in Rochdale, England in 1844.
COOPERATIVE SECTORS
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Cooperative businesses operate across virtually all industries or sectors and range in size from small, local stores, to $30 billion multi-national organizations:
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Agriculture
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Education
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Financial Services
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Consumer
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Healthcare
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Housing
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Industry Services
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Insurance
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Purchasing
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Utility services
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Worker