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What are Co-operatives?

What are Co-operatives?. A co-operative is a form of business enterprise different from private & public enterprises Co-operatives are a separate legal structure Registry of Co-operatives (NSW) Department of Fair Trading (NSW) Federation of Co-operatives (Victoria). What are Co-operatives?.

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What are Co-operatives?

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  1. What are Co-operatives? • A co-operative is a form of business enterprise different from private & public enterprises • Co-operatives are a separate legal structure • Registry of Co-operatives (NSW) • Department of Fair Trading (NSW) • Federation of Co-operatives (Victoria)

  2. What are Co-operatives? • Co-operatives are • owned & controlled by their member different because they are democratic, participatory, open, voluntary & community based • reflect and reinforce co-operative values & principles • Many different types of co-operatives exist

  3. Types of Co-operatives • Agricultural - fishing, forestry, producer, supply . & marketing co-operatives • Community service - aged care & child care . co-operatives • Consumer co-operatives – provide consumer goods . for sale to members (& non-members) • Credit - financial service co-operatives • Education - school, student & supply . co-operatives • Housing - community settlement & housing • . co-operatives

  4. Types of Co-operatives • Media - newspaper, radio station, telecommunications, television station, video production & publishing co-operatives • Recreational - game park & urban camp cooperatives • Store - bookshops, food, hardware, clothing & other merchandise co- operatives • Transport - bus, courier & taxi co-operatives • Utilityco-operatives - energy, telephone & water service co-operatives

  5. Definition “A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social & cultural needs & aspirations through a jointly-owned & democratically controlled enterprise” (Victorian Federation of Co-operatives, 2006)

  6. Definition • Characterised by participative ownership & control, democratic structure & use of capital for mutual benefit • Their unique structure is based on explicit values & principles in the International Co-operative Alliance's Statement.

  7. Values • Based on values of self-help, self responsibility, democracy, equality, equity & solidarity • Co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility & caring for others

  8. Principles • The co-operative principles are guidelines by which cooperatives put their values into practice. • Seven principles defined in the International Co-operative Alliance's Statement on the Co-operative Identity (1995)

  9. Seven Co-operative Principles • 1) Voluntary & open membership • 2) Democratic member control • 3) Member economic participation • 4) Autonomy & independence • 5) Education, training & information • 6) Cooperation among co-operatives • 7) Concern for community

  10. Co-operatives as a Means of Organising • A process not just an outcome • Pooling energy & resources to effect change for a common benefit • Cooperation provides strength by bringing people together mutual aims & interests • Mutual collective not individualist benefit • Co-ops as a political form of organising • Decentralised, participatory democracy not centralised hierarchy • Autonomy, responsibility & freedom

  11. Community, Social Capital & the Change Agent • A co-operative is about & is its members • Formed for serving needs of members & the community not just the investment of capital • Food co-operatives are not for profit • Social capital, capacity building & the third economy • Bill Moyer & the four roles of activism • Food co-ops & the role of the change agent

  12. What are Food Co-ops? • Food co-ops consist of a group of people (members) cooperating to take back control of their food • Take into consideration how & where it is produced & under what conditions • Provide accessible, affordable environmentally, socially & ethically responsible food & household products • An alternative to stupormarkets

  13. How do Food Co-ops work? • Food co-ops stock a range of products bought according to their buying principles & factors • Open to community, staff, students & members • Bulk, minimally packaged products • Avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle • BYO containers & DIY • Engaging people with their food

  14. How do Food Co-ops work? • Membership, shares & discounts • Mostly volunteer run, members who volunteer get greater discounts than non-working members • Coordinators, roles, Management Committee & decision making • Differences between campus based & community based food co-ops

  15. Organic Biodynamic Chemical free GE free Irradiation free Fairtrade Vegan/vegetarian Cruelty free Wholefoods or healthiness Food miles / Localness Minimally packaged & bulk Ethics Availability Price Social/community component Supplier type Producer type Buying Principles & Factors

  16. Juggling a Balancing Act • Buying principles & the problem of internal contradictions & tensions • It isn’t always possible to tick all the boxes • Which principles & factors are more important & why? • How is the decision made? • Examples • Organic vs Food miles • Organic vs Insecticide free vs price

  17. Australian Food Co-ops • Northern Territory • POD (Darwin) • Queensland • Griffith Uni Food Co-op (Brisbane) • Community Foods (Cairns) • South Australia • Flinders Uni Food Co-op (Adelaide) • Goodwood Goodfood Co-op (Adelaide) • Clarence Park Community Food Co-op (Adelaide)

  18. Australian Food Co-ops • Victoria • Wholefoods (Monash Uni Food Co-op, Melbourne) • Melbourne Uni Food Co-op (Melbourne) • La Trobe Food Co-op (Melbourne) • RMIT Food Co-op (Melbourne) • Friends of the Earth Food Co-op (Melbourne) • St Kilda Organic Food Co-op (Phillip Bay) • Tasmania • Hobart Organic Food Co-op

  19. NSW & ACT Food Co-ops

  20. Project Aims • Construct a profile of NSW & ACT food co-ops • What, where, how & why, structure & decision making process, member involvement, SWOT analysis • Register of existing co-ops & ordering people • Identify existing buying policies, principles & factors • Identify buying principles & factors • Analyse values, reasoning, beliefs & politics on which they are based • Create a stock database with all variables

  21. Project Aims • Compare & contrast buying principles & factors • Identify variations • Analyse how & why buying principals & factors . & their relative importance varies • Compare & contrast between food co-ops • Develop a hierarchy of buying principles • Compare & contrast within & between food . . co-ops • Analyse the extent of variation - how & why . this exists

  22. Project Aims • Identify internal tensions & contradictions • Analyse how tensions are reconciled • Develop a Decision Tree • Analyse member knowledge, input into & understanding of buying principles • Incorporate findings into a decision making tool? • Report back on findings • Action research approach

  23. Research Outcomes • Profile of food co-ops in NSW & ACT • Buying principles & factors paper • Stock database • Hierarchy of buying principles for each food co-op & an overall hierarchy table • Decision Tree • Analysis of results • ? Decision making tool

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