What is a Cooperative?
A cooperative is an independent enterprise that is owned and democratically controlled by the people who come together voluntarily to meet their common social, cultural and social needs. These member-owned entities operate under the universally accepted Seven Cooperative Principles and are guided by values that prioritize people over profit.
Agriculture
Fisheries
Industry Crafts & Services
Banking
Insurance
Retail
Housing
Healthcare
Cooperative Identity
The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) is the global steward of the Statement on the Cooperative Identity – the Values and Principles of the cooperative movement. In 1995, the ICA adopted the revised cooperative identity. The Statement on the Cooperative Identity states that a cooperative is an “autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.”
The Cooperative Advantage
Cooperatives are driven by the needs of the people they serve and are governed by leaders who are elected by their members through a democratic process. All profits generated from a cooperative are either reinvested in the enterprise or returned to the members. Because the economic and social benefits stay within the communities they serve, the cooperative model instills pride of ownership, strengthens the community, resulting in sustainable and high-quality service. Today, there are an estimated 1 million cooperatives worldwide, serving a total of 3 billion cooperative members across all sectors.
The Seven Cooperative Principles
The Cooperative Marque
The International Cooperative Alliance developed the Cooperative Marque, a global identity for the co-op movement. When you register a .COOP domain name, your domain name verification also makes you eligible to receive the global Cooperative Marque from us.
