Cooperatives Make a Difference
Cooperatives are vital to social and economic development in the community and around the world. More than 1 billion people worldwide belong to some type of co-op, and even more support co-ops by buying products produced by farmer-owned cooperatives like Sunkist, Blue Diamond, Ocean Spray, and Land O’ Lakes. Because cooperatives are democratically controlled by members, decisions balance the need for profitability with the needs of members and wider interest of the community.
Did you know?
- Co-ops account for more than 100 million jobs
- More than 900 electric co-ops deliver electricity to more than 42 million people in 47 states and operate 42 percent of the nation’s electric distribution lines
- Cooperatives serve over a billion people around the world
- One in every four U.S. citizens is a co-op member
- There are 350 million individual co-op memberships in the U.S.
- Cooperatives have U.S. sales of $650 billion and assets of $3 trillion
Cooperatives put people at the heart of all their business. They follow a broader set of values than those associated purely with making a profit. They’re about meeting the needs of people – whether they are consumers, purchasers, workers or producers. These core values of economic and social development are at the heart of the SEVEN COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES.
Seven Cooperative Principles
Voluntary and Open Membership
Democratic Member Control
Member Economic Participation
Autonomy and Independence
Education, Training and Information
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Concern for Community