In the case of co-op housing, the people who live in a particular building are members of the cooperative that owns the building. In the case of a grocery co-op, the people who shop at the store are owner-members.
The people who benefit from the products or services of a cooperative business own the cooperative business. One of those goals is to create a better world by working together and by shifting the focus of the business to place people over profit to build a more inclusive economy. People who join cooperatives or who are among the founding members of a co-op often have the same shared values, meaning they are willing to work together towards a common goal. Why are people who are members of a food co-op willing to volunteer or donate their time to work at the co-op? In part because of the community focus of a cooperative and the values behind co-ops. Some cooperatives are open to all, but provide special incentives to members, such as a discount on products or services. In some cases, only members of a cooperative can shop at it. For one thing, it’s likely that the people who are members of the cooperative, or part-owners of the co-op, are also working at the co-op, stocking the shelves and ringing customers up at the register.įor another thing, some cooperatives limit who can shop there or use their services.
Farm together local co op full#
There will be aisles full of food and checkout registers where people can make their purchases.īut if you were to look more closely, or take a peek behind the scenes, you’d be likely to notice that the food co-op operates slightly differently from a typical grocery store. For example, if you were to visit a grocery store cooperative, it is very likely that it will look like any other grocery store. To an outsider, a cooperative might look very similar to any other type of corporation. The International Co-Operative Alliance defines a cooperative, or co-op, as “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.” In other words, cooperatives are created by people who have a specific need and who are willing to work together to operate and organize a company that will meet that need. When the people who use the products and services a company has to offer own and operate the company, it’s known as a cooperative. Aside from the ownership structure, there are a few other distinct features that set cooperatives apart from other types of business. A company can incorporate, forming a corporation that is owned by fewer than 100 people (an S-corp) or hundreds or even thousands of people (a C-corp). When two or more people own a company, it’s often a partnership. When an individual owns and operates a company, it’s often a sole proprietorship. Who owns a business determines the type of entity it is. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Trends in the Cooperative Community.ABCs of Farmer and Independent Small Business Co-op Impact.The Cooperative Economics Council (CEC).Strengthening Cooperatives And Producer Organizations.
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