Cooperative federation
Aco-operative federationorsecondary co-operativeis aco-operativein which all members are, in turn, co-operatives.[1] Historically, co-operative federations have predominantly come in the form ofco-operative wholesale societiesandco-operative unions.[2]Co-operative federations are a means through which co-operatives can fulfill the sixthCo-operative Principle,co-operation among co-operatives. TheInternational Co-operative Alliancenotes that“Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.”[3]
Retail[edit]
According to co-operative economistCharles Gide,the aim of aco-operative wholesale society,which is owned by retailconsumer co-operatives,is to arrange "bulk purchases, and, if possible, organise production".[2]The best historical examples of this were the English and ScottishCo-operative Wholesale Societies,which were the forerunners to the modernCo-operative Group.
Co-operative union[edit]
A second common form of co-operative federation is a co-operative union, whose objective (according to Gide) is “to develop the spirit of solidarity among societies and... in a word, to exercise the functions of a government whose authority, it is needless to say, is purely moral.”[2]Co-operatives UKand theInternational Co-operative Allianceare examples of such arrangements.
Banking[edit]
- Austria'sRaiffeisen Banking Groupincludes many cooperative banks in Austria as well as operations (not organized as cooperatives) in eastern Europe.
- Germany'sVolksbankenandRaiffeisenbankenare cooperative banks within theGerman Cooperative Financial Group.
- France'sCrédit Agricoleis a multi-tiered network of primary and secondary co-operatives and hybrid co-operatives.
- In the UK,The Co-operative Bankis ajoint-stockretailandcommercial bank,whose stock is wholly owned byThe Co-operative Group,a hybrid primary and secondary co-operative.
- In the US,credit unionsco-operatively ownpayment networksandfinancial advisers.
- In South Korea,National Agricultural Cooperative Federationis a multi-purpose agricultural cooperatives' federation.
- Mexico, a, Loan and savings cooperative with more than 1.8 million members.
Agriculture[edit]
Regionalagricultural co-operatives,such asLand O'Lakesand the formerFarmland Industries,are co-operative federations owned by local farmers' co-operatives. Like the Co-operative Group (above), Land O'Lakes is actually a hybrid of a primary and secondary co-operative.[4]
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Co-operative party[edit]
In some countries with strong co-operative sectors, such as the UK, co-operatives have organized parliamentarypolitical partiesto represent their interests. The BritishCo-operative Partyis an example of such an arrangement.
Other uses[edit]
Co-operatives whose member owners are businesses, such asretailers' co-operatives,are sometimes calledsecondary co-operatives,even when their members are not themselves co-operatives.[5]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"How to set up a Secondary Co-operative"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2009-03-20.Retrieved2008-05-27.
A secondary co-operative is a co-operative business democratically controlled by its members, all of whom are themselves co-operatives and share certain aims or values in common. The secondary co-operative can be a way for these co-operatives to do things that help achieve their aims that they would not be able to do by themselves. Secondary co-operatives have been used in a number of sectors already – Credit Unions, Housing Co-operatives and Social Change Co-operatives for example.
- ^abcGide, Charles;as translated from French by the Co-operative Reference Library, Dublin,Consumers' Co-operative Societies,Manchester: The Co-operative Union Limited, 1921, p. 122,ISBN1-116-75261-1
- ^Statement on the Co-operative IdentityArchivedFebruary 4, 2012, at theWayback Machine.International Co-operative Alliance.
- ^Phil Kenkel; Amy Hagen (2004)."Impact of the Farmland Bankruptcy on Oklahoma Cooperatives"(PDF).viaKansas State University.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 1, 2006.Retrieved2008-05-22.
- ^"What is a co-operative?".Wales Co-operative Centre.