Cooperative Identity in a New Decade

The International Cooperative Alliance has decided to organize a Cooperative Congress at the end of 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. The main topic of discussion will be cooperative identity.

For the inattentive person, it may seem strange that after 175+ years of history, the cooperative movement is still debating its identity. But, looking carefully, this theme remains of great actuality.

As we enter a new decade, there are changes in the world that cooperatives need to address and bring their unique perspectives and solutions for the benefit of members and society. Revisiting the cooperative identity will allow a clearer vision of how to deal with these new challenges.

An example is the relatively new field of platform economy whereby economic and social activity is conducted in the digital world with the use of platforms. In this context, what is the relevance of cooperatives? What are the specific characteristics of the cooperative model of business that can help establish a ‘platform cooperativism’?

In a related theme, economic activity is increasingly dependent on data, analytics, and information, which have become products in themselves. Questions about privacy and management of personal data abound and are regularly on the news. What can cooperatives do in this area? What specific part of their identity, i.e. the things that define them, can be used to provide equitable solutions to these problems, and how?

But even in more traditional fields, cooperatives need to re-discuss their identity because it is a matter of remaining relevant in the future. Discussing identity is not just about what cooperatives are, it is also about how they should act. One of the biggest criticisms that cooperatives face is the fact that they proclaim their difference but, in practice, they act like any other company. Although these criticisms are many times unfounded, due to a lack of knowledge about cooperatives, or a result of the ‘misbehavior’ of a given cooperative that is generalized to all others, they should be avoided and carefully addressed. And, let’s admit it, sometimes they are true. History shows that when cooperatives start acting like other competitors and members lose the special connection to the cooperative, they tend to fail or end up transformed into other (private) types of company. Therefore, it’s always good to discuss cooperative identity to make sure they remain relevant to their members and society.

From another perspective, a discussion about cooperative identity will certainly also focus on the way that cooperatives communicate that identity. Even though we have seen much progress during the last decade, under the auspices of the ‘Blueprint for a Cooperative Decade’, with the use of the ‘Coop’ logo and the .coop domain, much remains to be done to reach a broader audience. After all, information about the benefits of cooperation is also one of the cooperative principles enshrined in the statement of cooperative identity of the International Cooperative Alliance.

Finally, identity is not immutable. Cooperatives are not the same today as they were in the 19th century, or the middle of the 20th century, or even a decade ago. Cooperatives adapt and change as the world changes around them and as members’ needs and aspirations also change. Therefore, discussing identity is also a way to redefine and evolve.

Looking forward to the discussions during the 2020 Cooperative Congress.