Cooperatives

Cooperatives

Cooperatives are organizations that are owned and controlled by their members, who use the cooperative's services or purchase its goods. The members of a cooperative share in the profits and losses of the organization and have a say in its management and decision-making processes. Cooperatives operate on the principles of voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy and independence, education and training, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community. They can be found in various sectors of the economy, including agriculture, banking, housing, healthcare, and retail. Cooperatives aim to meet the common economic, social, and cultural needs of their members while adhering to ethical values such as honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others. By pooling resources and working together, members of a cooperative can achieve goals that may be difficult or impossible to achieve individually, making cooperatives an important tool for economic and social development.

collective ownership, democratic control, member participation, shared profits, voluntary membership, cooperative principles, social responsibility, economic development

— Robert Anderson

CITATION : "Robert Anderson. 'Cooperatives.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/define/cooperatives?E=431621 (Accessed on October 14, 2026)"