The offcial UK launch of the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives took place on 12 January, with co-ops across the UK and around the world coming together to start the year in style.

The year will be a unique opportunity to lift the lid on some of the world’s biggest secrets. There are over 1.4 million cooperative businesses - large and small, local and global - across the world, working in everything from farming to football, healthcare to housing. Between them they have nearly one billion members and more than three billion people secure their livelihoods through co-operatives.

Food is one of the most successful sectors for co-operative businesses. It is where the cooperative movement started, with the opening of the first
co-operative grocery store in Rochdale in 1844, and it is where co-operatives continue to thrive.

Co-operatives are best known at a national level via high street retailers such as The Co-operative Group, which is leading the way in community retailing and Fairtrade. Thanks to independent retail co-operatives like this, nearly everyone knows about the co-operative movement. Nationally, we also have businesses such as Suma, the UK’s largest independent wholefood wholesaler and distributor - and the UK’s largest worker co- operative.

Co-operatives also operate on a global scale, in the form of wellknown brands such as Ocean Spray. Over three quarters of Fairtrade goods are made by cooperatives of small producers - and at a local level, hundreds of communities have come together to save their village shops and
pubs or set up local farming schemes or food co-operatives.

Our Co-operating in Food report paints an exciting picture of co-operative activity in the food industry. It is a dynamic and growing sector, with new
and interesting approaches being taken by businesses across the supply chain. The benefits of co-operatives are far-reaching and firmly rooted in ethical and social principles, offering a better way - both economically and socially - of doing business.

The International Year of Co-operatives will provide a platform for us to showcase the secret success of co-operatives within the food industry and indeed beyond. To kickstart the yearlong celebration, events were held up and down the country and across the world. Highlights included our live online debate about whether co-operation is the key to rebuilding British business, organised in partnership with The Co-operative Group and broadcast on The Guardian website, as well as receptions, tastings, conferences and book launches. We also launched the Global Business Ownership 2012 report, showing there are three times as many member owners of co-operatives as individual shareholders globally - one billion
compared with 328 million.

We are now looking ahead to International Co-operatives Day on 7 July, and in the week of 29 October over 10,000 people are expected to attend Co-operatives United, a world co-op festival and expo in Manchester. It promises to be a very happy and co-operative year!

Topics