Cooperative Models for Sustainability

A cooperative is a business owned and democratically controlled by its members—the people who use its services or do its work. Unlike investor-owned corporations that maximize shareholder profit, cooperatives operate for member benefit. Consumer co-ops (like food co-ops and credit unions) are owned by customers. Worker co-ops are owned by employees, who share profits and decision-making. Producer co-ops help independent producers (like farmers) market collectively. The cooperative model has existed since the Rochdale Pioneers in 1844 and today includes over 3 million cooperatives worldwide serving 1.2 billion members—making cooperatives one of the largest organized movements on Earth.