Finland is one of most cooperative countries in the world, with almost 4 million cooperative members out of a total population of 5.4 million. Over 1.9 million of them are members of the Suomen Osuuskauppojen Keskuskunta (SOK) Corporation, also known as the S Group, a union of 22 regional retail and service cooperatives. The S […]
SOK Corporation
The Suomen Osuuskauppojen Keskuskunta (SOK) Corporation, also known as the S Group, is a Finnish network of companies in the retail and service trades. A grouping of 22 regional and local cooperatives, the S Group has over 1.9 million members and 1,697 outlets, including four supermarket chains, service stations, hotels, restaurants and car dealerships, with […]
America’s Electric Cooperatives: Showing the Way to a Sustainable Future?
Martin Lowery believes cooperatives are responsible for what might be greatest engineering feat of the 20th century in the United States: bringing electricity to millions of rural homes after private companies refused to provide the infrastructure to extend power lines into the heart of the country. Lowery is the Executive Vice President for Member and […]
Diversifying Over 50 Years
Wedding catering, school uniform tailoring, expedited freight: just some of the diverse services offered by Koperasi Warga Semen Gresik (KWSG), one of Indonesia’s largest cooperatives. The cooperative’s unique history is closely intertwined with that of the country’s biggest cement producer, PT Semen Gresik (Persero) Tbk, recently renamed as Semen Indonesia, the first state-owned enterprise to […]
Union of Rose Producers Agricultural Sales Cooperatives (Gülbirlik)
Due to special climate requirements, only a few number of countries in the world produce attar of roses. Turkey is one of the countries that produce it. Rose damascene cultivation is realized in Isparta Province and environs of Isparta in Turkey. Gülbirlik is the only higher unit of rose damascene cultivators’ cooperatives, which consists of […]
Union of Rose Cultivators Agricultural Sales Cooperatives
Rose and attar of roses are agricultural products that are known and used in each and every part of the world. In addition, attar of roses is one of the most important raw materials that is used in perfume and cosmetics industry. Rose damascane, which is one of the most significant types of rose in […]
Seminary Co-op Bookstore
The Seminary Co-op Bookstore has been independent and member owned since 1961. Members are part-owners of the Co-op. Members not only invest in a local company; they become part of an intellectual community. Over the years, members have included authors, intellectuals, and public figures such as G. E. M. Anscombe, Saul Bellow, S. Chandrasekhar, Friedrich […]
Those who love Mondays, a book of the General Confederation of Scop in France
In 2008, just as the financial crisis was revealing the weaknesses in the capitalist system, the Futurscope National Congress in Poitiers passed a resolution to use communication to modernize the image of the “Scop” in France. A Scop (société cooperative et participative) is a cooperative enterprise in which the employees hold the majority of the […]
Les Scop
Scop endeavour to satisfy the individual and collective training needs of employees by offering technical, managerial and cooperative training programmes. Through employment and activity cooperatives (CAE – Cooperatives d’Activité et d’Emploi), the Scop network actively support and accompany individual entrepreneurs in the pursuit of their initiatives. In addition, the Scop network also promotes the creation […]
Café Revolution: Better than Fair Trade
13 years ago US natives Matt Earley and Mike Moon started working intermittently in the Chiapas region of Mexico. The men were there to support the Zapatista movement underway, but their involvement quickly took on a new and specific form. Seeking ways to improve economic stability, the little coffee communities around Pantelho, Chiapas organized into […]