Crédit Coopératif, one of Frances leading co-operative banks, was founded in 1893. It finds its origins in the Social Economy movement of the late 19th century that led to the creation of today’s large mutual banking groups, when the industrial revolution and early globalisation led populations to organise themselves into cooperatives. These values and this […]
Crédit Coopératif
Crédit Coopératif is a co-operative bank whose mission is to contribute to the development of enterprises of the social economy, associations, co-operatives, business groups, social entrepreneurs and charitable bodies, in an appropriate response to their needs and co-production of services. As a pioneer of ethical and solidarity finance, Crédit Coopératif provides its expertise to serve […]
Ecosphera
Ecosphera is a Type B social coop (30% of members must be from one or more disadvantaged groups) that provides environmental services for the city of Forlì, in Emilia Romagna, Italy. As a social cooperative, a core mission of Ecosphera is to provide meaningful ways to engage its disabled/disadvantaged staff as productive members of the […]
Fruit of the Vine, Stem and Stalk
A few years ago a group of Nicaraguans decided that when life gave them fruit they would make wine. They also make juices and jams. In 1986 an informal organization of workers began to gather forgotten fruit from farms near the bustling capitol of Managua. They sold that produce in local markets and reinvested profits […]
Cooperativa Agroindustrial Chinantlan
Cooperativa Chinantlan is dedicated to the economic and social growth of community, with a special focus on the women who live in this region of Nicaragua. The coop brings together employees from country and city to grow, harvest, transport, process and sell fruit. Currently, the cooperative produces wine, juice and jam from locally grown products.
CUMA spells cooperation for farmers
The CUMA (Coopérative dUtilisation de Matériel Agricole or cooperative for the use of farm implements) emerged from French farmers need to mechanise after World War II. Through CUMAs, farmers own and operate farm agricultural machinery collectively, making it both more affordable and more efficiently utilised. The main activity of these co-operatives is harvesting but some […]
A supermarket for the people
The year is 1972 in Singapore and there was widespread panic buying because of the fears of a global food shortage that the global oil crisis brought about. Unscrupulous merchants took advantage of the situation by hoarding essentials and raising prices whenever they felt like it. To counter this, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) […]
NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd
NTUC FairPrice Co-operative Ltd was founded by the labour movement in 1973, with a social mission to moderate the cost of living in Singapore. NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd has grown from one supermarket in 1973 into Singapores largest grocery retailer serving about 400,000 shoppers daily, with a network of over 105 outlets today, comprising FairPrice […]
DGRV – Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband e.V. (German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation)
The DGRV – Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband e. V. (German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation reg. assoc.) is both the apex and auditing association of the German cooperative organisation, across multiple sectors. DGRV supports the development of cooperative systems worldwide.
The Golden Fleece Legacy
The Australians have a saying when you are getting a bad deal you are getting fleeced. And that is just how this great Western Australian based member owned business got started. The Capricorn story is something of a legend these days but 38 years ago seven Golden Fleece service station operators met in […]