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Co-op News October 2019: Sustainable Development

The October 2019 edition of Co-op News looks at the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how co-o-operatives can help make them happen – with interviews with Marc Noel, Vandana Shiva, Balu Iye, Maria Eugenia Perez Zea, Jurgen Schwettman and Patrick Develtere. We also speak with Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation about the impact of Brexit, and look at co-ops in the context of the UK's current politics.

The October 2019 edition of Co-op News looks at the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how co-o-operatives can help make them happen – with interviews with Marc Noel, Vandana Shiva, Balu Iye, Maria Eugenia Perez Zea, Jurgen Schwettman and Patrick Develtere. We also speak with Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation about the impact of Brexit, and look at co-ops in the context of the UK's current politics.

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OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong><br />

SUSTAINABLE<br />

DEVELOPMENT<br />

How are co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

helping to make<br />

the SDGs a reality?<br />

Plus … ICA Global<br />

<strong>Co</strong>nference preview ...<br />

Meet Fairtrade Foundation’s<br />

Michael Gidney ... positive<br />

impacts of the Preston Model<br />

ISSN 0009-9821<br />

9 770009 982010<br />

01<br />

£4.20<br />

www.thenews.co<strong>op</strong>


PRACTITIONERS<br />

FORUM <strong>2019</strong><br />

Manchester<br />

7 November <strong>2019</strong><br />

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT<br />

FOR CO-OP PRACTITIONERS<br />

A series of specialist forums: communications<br />

finance governance HR and membership<br />

Mix and match across forums to create<br />

a bespoke programme of learning<br />

A fantastic professional devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

<strong>op</strong>portunity for co-<strong>op</strong>erative practitioners<br />

Learn from experts and network with peers<br />

Discounts available for<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK members<br />

www.uk.co<strong>op</strong>/pf


<strong>Sustainable</strong> devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

to build a future for all<br />

CONNECTING, CHAMPIONING AND<br />

CHALLENGING THE GLOBAL CO-OP<br />

MOVEMENT SINCE 1871<br />

Holyoake House, Hanover Street,<br />

Manchester M60 0AS<br />

(00) 44 161 214 0870<br />

www.thenews.co<strong>op</strong><br />

editorial@thenews.co<strong>op</strong><br />

EXECUTIVE EDITOR<br />

Rebecca Harvey<br />

rebecca@thenews.co<strong>op</strong><br />

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR<br />

Anca Voinea | anca@thenews.co<strong>op</strong><br />

DIGITAL EDITOR<br />

Miles Hadfield | miles@thenews.co<strong>op</strong><br />

WRITER<br />

Jen Banks<br />

DESIGN<br />

Keir Mucklestone-Barnett<br />

ART & DESIGN PLACEMENT<br />

Owais Qazi<br />

INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH OFFICER<br />

Elaine Dean<br />

DIRECTORS<br />

Barbara Rainford (chair), David Paterson<br />

(vice-chair), Gavin Ewing, Tim Hartley,<br />

Beverley Perkins and Ray Henderson.<br />

Secretary: Richard Bickle<br />

Established in 1871, <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

<strong>News</strong> is published by <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Press Ltd, a registered society under<br />

the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative and <strong>Co</strong>mmunity<br />

Benefit Society Act 2014. It is printed<br />

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Membership of <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Press is<br />

<strong>op</strong>en to individual readers as well as<br />

to other co-<strong>op</strong>eratives, corporate bodies<br />

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The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>News</strong> mission statement<br />

is to connect, champion and challenge<br />

the global co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement,<br />

through fair and objective journalism<br />

and <strong>op</strong>en and honest comment and<br />

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final editorial control remains with<br />

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and views set out in <strong>op</strong>inion articles<br />

and letters do not necessarily reflect<br />

the <strong>op</strong>inion of <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>News</strong>.<br />

@co<strong>op</strong>news<br />

co<strong>op</strong>erativenews<br />

“The history books of the future are being written daily.” This was Glenn Bowen,<br />

speaking at the Social Business Wales conference (more on that on p34). But it<br />

stuck with me. The climate crisis, the economy and global politics are all moving<br />

so fast that every news cycle becomes a race to keep up with what monumental<br />

changes have taken place today. What new devel<strong>op</strong>ments – good or bad – will we<br />

read about in the morning?<br />

In 2015, the UN launched an idea for sustainable devel<strong>op</strong>ment: an agenda of 17<br />

goals to make the world a better place for more pe<strong>op</strong>le by making it fundamentally<br />

fairer. The timetable for this was 2030. But with 11 years to go, the world is already<br />

set to miss the deadline.<br />

Deadly conflicts, the climate crisis, gender-based violence and persistent inequality<br />

have all played a part in the delay – as was acknowledged at a high-level political<br />

forum on sustainable devel<strong>op</strong>ment at the UN General Assembly in New York in<br />

September (p38). But there is still time to make a difference.<br />

At the forum, member states agreed a concise, negotiated political declaration,<br />

which included an accelerated action plan. They committed to, among other things,<br />

leaving no one behind; strengthening institutions for more integrated solutions;<br />

bolstering local action – and solving challenges through international co-<strong>op</strong>eration.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>nveniently, the International <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Alliance’s General Assembly is<br />

taking place in Kigali, Rwanda less than three weeks later (14-17 Oct), and the role<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s can play in implementing some of the SDGs will form the basis of many<br />

conversations there. This issue we’ve caught up with a few of those who will be<br />

facilitating some of those discussions (p42-45). We also hear from the ICA’s own<br />

international devel<strong>op</strong>ment director (Marc Noël, p40) and one of the keynote<br />

speakers (environmental activist Dr Vandana Shiva, p41).<br />

There are more conferences on the horizon, too, with events hosted by the UK’s<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>uncils Innovation Network (p29); the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Party (p28),<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK (p27) and the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> <strong>Co</strong>llege (p26) – not to mention the NCBA<br />

CLUSA <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Impact <strong>Co</strong>nference and the Platform <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> <strong>Co</strong>nference in the United<br />

States (p50).<br />

The unifying central theme for most of these is devel<strong>op</strong>ment and growth – changing<br />

things for the better through working co-<strong>op</strong>eratively. Whether they’re in local<br />

communities, countries, regions or sectors, co-<strong>op</strong>eratives are resilient – and<br />

h<strong>op</strong>efully the new devel<strong>op</strong>ments we’ll read about in the morning will reflect that.<br />

REBECCA HARVEY - EXECUTIVE EDITOR<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>News</strong> is printed using vegetable oil-based<br />

inks on 80% recycled paper (with 60% from post-consumer<br />

waste) with the remaining 20% produced from FSC or PEFC<br />

certified sources. It is made in a totally chlorine free process.<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 3


<strong>Co</strong>nference preview ...<br />

Meet Fairtrade Foundation’s<br />

Michael Gidney ... positive<br />

impacts of the Preston Model<br />

ISSN 0009-9821<br />

01<br />

9 770009 982010<br />

THIS ISSUE<br />

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT<br />

Michael Gidney on the future of Fairtrade<br />

(p22-23); How Preston (inspired by<br />

Cleveland) is making a difference through<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>eration (p30-31); Social businesses<br />

impacting Wales (p34-35); <strong>Co</strong>mmunity<br />

engagement at Brighton’s Bevy Pub<br />

(p32-33); and the future of ICA-EU<br />

partnerships (p40)<br />

news Issue #7312 OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong><br />

<strong>Co</strong>nnecting, championing, challenging<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong><br />

SUSTAINABLE<br />

DEVELOPMENT<br />

How are co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

helping to make<br />

the SDGs a reality?<br />

Plus … ICA Global<br />

COVER: The <strong>2019</strong> ICA Global <strong>Co</strong>nference<br />

takes place in Kigali, Rwanda on 14-17<br />

Oct. This issue we hear from some of<br />

the speakers who will be taking part<br />

in conversations around co-<strong>op</strong>s and<br />

the implementation of the <strong>Sustainable</strong><br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Goals. Read more: p38-47<br />

£4.20<br />

www.thenews.co<strong>op</strong><br />

22-23 MEET... MICHAEL GIDNEY<br />

CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation<br />

26 EVENT PREVIEW: CO-OP COLLEGE<br />

CENTENARY CONFERENCE<br />

27 EVENT PREVIEW:<br />

PRACTITIONERS FORUM<br />

28-37 POLITICS<br />

28 EVENT PREVIEW:<br />

CO-OP PARTY CONFERENCE<br />

29 EVENT PREVIEW:<br />

CCIN CONFERENCE<br />

30-31 THE PRESTON MODEL<br />

The Preston Model is held up as a great<br />

example of co-<strong>op</strong>eration. What are the<br />

differences it has made?<br />

32-33 CLASS IN THE UK<br />

Case study: community engagement<br />

in the Bevy Pub in Brighton<br />

34-35 SOCIAL BUSINESS WALES<br />

<strong>Co</strong>nference report: How are<br />

social enterprises safeguarding<br />

Wales’s future?<br />

36-37 THE COLLAPSE<br />

OF THOMAS COOK<br />

Paul Gosling on the causes – and<br />

chaos around the travel agent’s demise<br />

38-47 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT<br />

GOALS (SDGS)<br />

39 THE SDGS IN MALAWI<br />

40 INTERVIEW: MARC NOËL<br />

The ICA’s international devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

director on what next for devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

41 Q&A: VANDANA SHIVA<br />

The Indian scholar, author and activist<br />

on the importance of co-<strong>op</strong>eration<br />

42 Q&A: BALU IYER<br />

SDG 10 (Reduced Inequality)<br />

43 Q&A: MARÍA EUGENIA PÉREZ ZEA<br />

SDG 5 (Gender Equality)<br />

44 Q&A: JÜRGEN SCHWETTMAN<br />

SDG 8 (Decent Work)<br />

45 Q&A: PATRICK DEVELTERE<br />

SDG 12 (<strong>Sustainable</strong> Production<br />

and <strong>Co</strong>nsumption)<br />

46-47 TECHNOLOGY AND THE SDGS<br />

Where do co-<strong>op</strong>s fi t in?<br />

REGULARS<br />

5-13 UK updates<br />

14-21 Global updates<br />

24 Letters<br />

48 Reviews<br />

4 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


NEWS<br />

ENERGY<br />

Oct<strong>op</strong>us and <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Energy agree takeover deal<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Energy has struck an agreement<br />

with Oct<strong>op</strong>us Energy, which will see the<br />

latter take on ownership and responsibility<br />

for the management and supply of<br />

energy to the 300k customers currently<br />

supplied by <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Energy, Flow and<br />

GB Energy.<br />

As part of the deal, Oct<strong>op</strong>us will<br />

retain the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Energy brand, while<br />

the Midcounties <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative will<br />

retain responsibility for acquiring new<br />

customers under the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Energy brand<br />

as part of its wider utilities strategy<br />

The deal, completed for an undisclosed<br />

sum, will increase Oct<strong>op</strong>us’s customer<br />

base to over a million. <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Energy<br />

customers will have access to its<br />

pr<strong>op</strong>rietary tech platform and will<br />

receive the same service as Oct<strong>op</strong>us’s<br />

existing customers.<br />

The two businesses say the transaction<br />

also includes the creation of a joint<br />

venture to further devel<strong>op</strong> the community<br />

energy market in the UK. The joint venture<br />

will invest in projects, provide practical<br />

support to community groups and<br />

increase the volume of energy purchased<br />

from community schemes, encouraging<br />

more small-scale generation across<br />

the UK.<br />

Customers of GB Energy and Flow will<br />

now become Oct<strong>op</strong>us Energy customers<br />

while <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Energy customers who are<br />

members of the Midcounties <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

will remain as Midcounties members.<br />

The deal could result in some<br />

redundancies, confirmed a Midcounties<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> spokesman, adding that the<br />

number of roles affected had not<br />

been confirmed.<br />

Midcounties chief executive Phil<br />

Ponsonby said: “The Midcounties board<br />

is extremely proud of what has been<br />

achieved by our energy business since we<br />

entered a market dominated by just a few<br />

energy companies back in 2011.<br />

“At that time 99% of supply came from<br />

the Big Six and there were fewer than 12<br />

companies in the market. Today there<br />

are over 70 and we firmly believe that<br />

we disrupted the market and played our<br />

part in reducing the dominance of the big<br />

players by providing fair prices, supplying<br />

100% green electricity and supporting<br />

community energy projects all across<br />

the UK.”<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Energy losses affected the most<br />

recent annual results at Midcounties.<br />

While the energy business had grown<br />

its sales to £423m, it was hit by rising<br />

wholesale costs. The society had taken<br />

160,000 customers from GB Energy<br />

Supply in 2016 and 130,000 from Flow<br />

in 2018.<br />

Mr Ponsonby added: “The market is<br />

now more competitive than ever, and it is<br />

clear to us that having the best technology<br />

is absolutely critical to delivering the best<br />

service to customers while maintaining<br />

a sustainable business for the longer<br />

term. Oct<strong>op</strong>us have devel<strong>op</strong>ed what we<br />

consider to be the most innovative and<br />

customer-focused technology anywhere<br />

in the industry today. But it isn’t just about<br />

technology, one of our strategic objectives<br />

is to make our members lives easier and<br />

our board was insistent that in looking for<br />

a partner, we found an organisation that<br />

shared our values, and put customers,<br />

colleagues and the environment at the<br />

heart of what they do. Oct<strong>op</strong>us firmly meet<br />

these requirements and we are delighted<br />

to be partnering with them.”<br />

Greg Jackson, CEO of Oct<strong>op</strong>us Energy,<br />

said: “This acquisition and our ongoing<br />

partnership with Midcounties is another<br />

step on the road to improving the domestic<br />

energy market for good. Our renewable<br />

energy supply and outstanding technology<br />

is now delivering award winning service<br />

to over a million homes in the UK with<br />

100% green electricity as standard.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> is one of the most well-respected<br />

British brands and we’re delighted to be<br />

working with them alongside our other<br />

cherished partners.<br />

“I am also very excited about our<br />

joint venture for community energy. We<br />

have been hugely impressed by <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong><br />

Energy’s achievement in this area and we<br />

believe that together we can help even<br />

more pe<strong>op</strong>le from across the UK to come<br />

together in devel<strong>op</strong>ing new sourcesof<br />

sustainable power.”<br />

Peter Earl, head of energy at<br />

comparethemarket.com, believes the<br />

move could lead to confusion among<br />

consumers in an already complex<br />

market. “<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Energy customers<br />

will see the management and supply of<br />

their energy change to Oct<strong>op</strong>us Energy<br />

– a different company entirely – yet<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Energy will maintain its<br />

brand and continue to sell energy,”<br />

he said. “The potential for confusion<br />

amongst consumers is real.<br />

“Only three years ago, GB Energy<br />

customers were moved to become<br />

customers of <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Energy as<br />

a result of GB Energy ceasing to trade.<br />

At a minimum, consumers need clarity<br />

on who is supplying their energy, and<br />

not to be unsure who to contact for<br />

customer support.<br />

But he added: “The rise of start-up,<br />

challenger energy suppliers provides<br />

consumers with greater choice beyond the<br />

Big Six, and healthy competition typically<br />

leads to customers securing the best<br />

value tariffs.”<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 5


p The Group’s headquarters at Angel Square, Manchester<br />

CO-OP GROUP<br />

Half-year results hit by dr<strong>op</strong> in funeral business<br />

The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group announced its half-year<br />

results last month, with pre-tax profit<br />

down to £25m in the 26 weeks to 6 July –<br />

from £44m in the same period last year.<br />

The retailer says the dr<strong>op</strong> in profit was<br />

the result of an unexpected 10% fall in<br />

the death rate, which affected its funeral<br />

business. The division saw a 6% dr<strong>op</strong> in<br />

revenue, with fewer funerals adding to its<br />

decision not to increase prices.<br />

Food sales rose 3% to £3.7bn with the<br />

retailer recording 22 straight quarters of<br />

like-for-like sales growth. Strong food<br />

sales and the retailer’s acquisition of<br />

Nisa led to a 12% rise in Group revenue<br />

to £5.4bn. Net debt also increased from<br />

£714m in January to £784m.<br />

During the six months, the Group<br />

returned £29m to members and £6m to<br />

4,000 local causes.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Health is expected to be rolled<br />

out nationally by early 2020, in an effort<br />

to bring convenience to pharmacy and<br />

health services.<br />

The Group said its forecasts had taken<br />

into account the potential impact of Brexit<br />

on the business. It warned about increased<br />

risk of some disruption to its supply chain<br />

and said it would be stockpiling items<br />

including water and toilet paper ahead<br />

of Brexit.<br />

Chief executive Steve Murrells said:<br />

“We’ve enjoyed another good six months<br />

where the strength of our business<br />

has led to a further £35m of value<br />

being generated for our members and<br />

their communities.<br />

“Our food business continues to<br />

perform strongly in a highly competitive<br />

market and has now recorded 22<br />

consecutive quarters of like-for-like<br />

sales growth. As our largest business,<br />

it is providing the fuel for our growth<br />

in terms of member value and<br />

community impact.<br />

“In funerals we are actively repositioning<br />

the business to meet the<br />

changing needs of our members. We are<br />

the market leader but we will also lead<br />

the market in providing better choices<br />

and <strong>op</strong>tions for our customers in the years<br />

ahead. Likewise, the devel<strong>op</strong>ment in our<br />

insurance, legal and health businesses<br />

will enable us to significantly broaden<br />

the range of services, in areas where our<br />

members know the co-<strong>op</strong> difference can<br />

be clearly seen.”<br />

Chair Allan Leighton said: “We have<br />

made further progress during the first<br />

six months of this year and the strength<br />

of our business can be seen by our<br />

underlying financial position and through<br />

the increasing impact we’re having in<br />

local communities.<br />

“The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> is now 175 years young,<br />

and we have worked hard to ensure<br />

that we remain relevant to all generations<br />

and in particular younger co-<strong>op</strong>erators<br />

– whether this is using our presence<br />

at eight music festivals to introduce<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le to our values and ways of doing<br />

things, or by devel<strong>op</strong>ing motor insurance<br />

products specifically with the needs of<br />

young drivers in mind.”<br />

He added: “The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group is thriving<br />

and we are committed to growing our<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> difference and impact for<br />

generations to come.”<br />

u Group signs UN climate pledge: p9<br />

u More retail results: p7-8<br />

6 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


Food chief calls for action to tackle shock rise in retail crime<br />

Crimes against sh<strong>op</strong> workers are at<br />

epidemic pr<strong>op</strong>ortions, according to a new<br />

report funded by the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group.<br />

The research, by Dr Emmeline Taylor<br />

from City, University of London, describes<br />

the impact and motivations of violence in<br />

the retail sector.<br />

Figures from the British Retail<br />

<strong>Co</strong>nsortium show that workers fell victim<br />

to 42,000 violent incidents last year, with<br />

115 workers physically attacked every day<br />

and many more cases of verbal abuse<br />

and threats.<br />

Meanwhile, the Home Office <strong>Co</strong>mmercial<br />

Victimisation Survey shows that assaults<br />

and threats toward retail and wholesale<br />

staff are at the highest level since 2012.<br />

According to Dr Taylor’s research,<br />

sh<strong>op</strong> workers report severe mental health<br />

consequences from violence, including<br />

long-lasting anxiety and post-traumatic<br />

stress disorder.<br />

Challenging sh<strong>op</strong> thieves is the number<br />

one trigger for violence and verbal abuse<br />

in the retail sector, accounting for 25% of<br />

incidents, says the report.<br />

“Multiple data sources show that the<br />

frequency and severity of violence towards<br />

sh<strong>op</strong> workers is increasing,” said Dr<br />

Taylor. “Often ignored as ‘retail crime’ and<br />

therefore somehow victimless, let’s not<br />

forget that behind each and every statistic<br />

is a person who has directly experienced<br />

violence or verbal abuse while simply<br />

doing their job... More needs to be done to<br />

protect sh<strong>op</strong> workers.”<br />

She added: “There are several<br />

actionable recommendations for the<br />

industry, government and communities<br />

that, if implemented, I believe will<br />

begin to reverse the upsurge in violence<br />

occurring in our sh<strong>op</strong>s. But tackling<br />

violence requires long term meaningful<br />

investment in communities coupled with<br />

an effective criminal justice system that<br />

works to address the root causes of crime.<br />

Violence is preventable, not inevitable.”<br />

In light of these findings, the report asks<br />

for a review of the Anti-Social Behaviour,<br />

Crime and Policing Act (ASBCPA) 2014, to<br />

consider the impact that financial values<br />

set in the Act have had on levels of theft.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Food CEO, Jo Whitfield, said:<br />

“Nothing is more important to me than<br />

protecting our colleagues at the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>.<br />

I’ve worked in retail businesses for more<br />

than 20 years and I’ve never seen such<br />

high levels of violence and abuse. And<br />

it’s having lasting effects on the lives of<br />

workers, both mentally and physically.<br />

It is not part of the job to be verbally<br />

abused, threatened or attacked.<br />

“We h<strong>op</strong>e the report’s recommendations<br />

force the government, businesses, law<br />

enforcement and trade unions to act<br />

together to devel<strong>op</strong> a strategy to protect<br />

all sh<strong>op</strong> workers.”<br />

In another area of concern over worker<br />

welfare, the Group has teamed up with<br />

Wellcome and public engagement<br />

consultancy Liminal Space to investigate<br />

the effects of night shifts on health.<br />

The research project, Night Club, brings<br />

sleep experts and workers together. It is<br />

visiting all of the Group’s distribution<br />

depots, starting with Newhouse in<br />

Motherwell, where shift workers can talk<br />

directly with qualified sleep specialists<br />

and get health advice.<br />

RETAIL<br />

Trading profit rises 8% in Scotmid’s interim results<br />

Scotmid <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> has recorded a trading<br />

profit of £2.5m for the 26 weeks to 27 July,<br />

up 8% on the equivalent period last year.<br />

The society, which celebrates its<br />

160th anniversary on 4 November, said<br />

its turnover was up £3m to £190m, and<br />

reported a “strong balance sheet with<br />

assets of £104.5m”.<br />

Chief executive John Brodie said: “We’re<br />

pleased to announce another strong half<br />

year performance – achieved in the face<br />

of challenging cost pressures and the<br />

uncertainty surrounding Brexit.<br />

“Food convenience and pr<strong>op</strong>erty were<br />

the main drivers. The performance of our<br />

food stores was particularly encouraging<br />

with the continued work on our ‘famous<br />

for food’ strategy helping to drive growth.<br />

“In the face of significant market<br />

challenges for non-food retailers,<br />

Semichem held its position assisted by<br />

successful cost control. Funerals conducted<br />

were down compared to a strong result at<br />

the interim stage last year, reflecting the<br />

cyclical pattern of this business.”<br />

He added: “Scotmid has been serving<br />

our communities for 160 years and in<br />

recent times this has been demonstrated<br />

by a range of community support<br />

including the <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Grant scheme,<br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmunity <strong>Co</strong>nnect and funds raised for<br />

our charity partners.<br />

“A few weeks ago saw the conclusion of<br />

our charity partnership with the Scottish<br />

SPCA, RSPCA and USPCA with the<br />

magnificent sum of £325,000 being raised<br />

to help fund the education of primary<br />

schoolchildren about animal welfare.”<br />

Mr Brodie said the society has performed<br />

strongly despite less favourable weather<br />

compared with last summer and the<br />

ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit.<br />

“The position on Brexit remains unclear<br />

and the possibility of a no deal makes it<br />

p John Brodie<br />

hard to predict the impact on the society’s<br />

second half performance.<br />

“The society will therefore continue to<br />

focus on matters within our control and<br />

celebrate the success of Scotmid’s 160<br />

years of serving our communities and<br />

improving pe<strong>op</strong>le’s everyday lives.”<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 7


RETAIL<br />

Central England hails growth in half-year sales<br />

In its half year results to 10 August <strong>2019</strong>,<br />

Central England <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> hailed an increase<br />

of sales by £7.7m to £484.6m, aided by<br />

new store <strong>op</strong>enings and an expanded<br />

Travel Sh<strong>op</strong> network.<br />

Trading profit was £11.4m, down from<br />

£12.9m the previous year, but chief<br />

executive Debbie Robinson said this was<br />

“in line with budget and reflects a steady<br />

performance for the society in the face of a<br />

highly competitive retail environment and<br />

uncertain economic backdr<strong>op</strong>”.<br />

Investment over the period saw the<br />

<strong>op</strong>ening of four new food stores and one<br />

funeral booking office, alongside the<br />

refurbishment of nine other sites. Further<br />

investment is planned for the second half<br />

of the year and on into 2020.<br />

Capital expenditure over the period<br />

totalled £10.7m, with the society enjoying<br />

strong cash generation of £25.3m.<br />

Sixty groups and good causes shared<br />

£90,000 from the society’s <strong>Co</strong>mmunity<br />

Dividend Fund and £2.3m was distributed<br />

to members, colleagues and the wider<br />

community. And the co-<strong>op</strong> pioneered<br />

a scheme to redistribute food to local<br />

causes, as it linked up with FareShare East<br />

Midlands to donate the equivalent of over<br />

1.6 million meals to pe<strong>op</strong>le in need.<br />

The rollout of a raft of new security<br />

measures in food stores has seen burglaries<br />

dr<strong>op</strong> by 6% and robberies dr<strong>op</strong> by 30%.<br />

Ms Robinson added: “In difficult times,<br />

I believe our co-<strong>op</strong>erative difference will set<br />

us apart and see us thrive while others may<br />

flounder. Together we will grow and prosper<br />

by embracing our values of self-help, selfresponsibility,<br />

democracy, equality, equity<br />

and solidarity.”<br />

Society president Elaine Dean said: “So<br />

far this year we have seen the arrival of<br />

our new chief executive, Debbie Robinson,<br />

following the retirement of her predecessor,<br />

Martyn Cheatle. Debbie joined us in March<br />

and really hit the ground running from<br />

day one – you may already have spotted<br />

the many changes taking place as Debbie<br />

p Debbie Robinson<br />

drives us forward as a community retailer.<br />

“Despite facing difficult trading<br />

conditions, our society is holding its own in<br />

a competitive and challenging market.<br />

“The board has commenced a detailed<br />

review of our strategy with the aim of<br />

confirming our ambition to be the best<br />

UK co-<strong>op</strong>erative and to be a leader in the<br />

movement when it comes to good practice.”<br />

Central England’s full year results are<br />

due at the end of January 2020.<br />

RETAIL<br />

John Lewis reports half-year loss and warns of Brexit impact<br />

Employee-owned retailer John Lewis<br />

Partnership has reported a half-year loss<br />

of £25.9m, down from a profit of £0.8m<br />

last year.<br />

Chair Sir Charlie Mayfield said the UK<br />

retail map is being “re-drawn” and trading<br />

conditions remain difficult – and repeated<br />

his warnings in previous results that<br />

a no-deal Brexit would have a significant<br />

impact on the business.<br />

Results at the Partnership’s grocery<br />

business Waitrose & Partners rose £14.1m<br />

to £110.1m, largely due to pr<strong>op</strong>erty profits<br />

this year, but also from an improvement<br />

in gross margins and a strong<br />

<strong>op</strong>erational performance.<br />

At John Lewis & Partners, <strong>op</strong>erating<br />

losses rose £42.5m to £61.8m, reflecting<br />

lower sales in categories with more<br />

considered purchasing, cost inflation<br />

(including non-management pay) well<br />

ahead of the level of sales growth,<br />

and higher IT costs.<br />

Profit before tax was £191.5m,<br />

up £185.5m.<br />

Sir Charlie said: “We have historically<br />

made the majority of our profits in<br />

the second half of the year. Although<br />

we expect retail conditions to remain<br />

challenging, we are pressing on with<br />

key areas of innovation such as Waitrose<br />

Unpacked and the renewal of key ranges<br />

in areas like menswear and home.<br />

“Over the next 12 months, we will also<br />

accelerate our transformation of the<br />

Partnership to deliver innovation faster<br />

and increase emphasis on the competitive<br />

difference of Partners.<br />

“However, should the UK leave the EU<br />

without a deal, we expect the effect to<br />

be significant and it will not be possible<br />

to mitigate that impact. In readiness, we<br />

have ensured our financial resilience<br />

and taken steps to increase our foreign<br />

currency hedging, to build stock<br />

where that is sensible, and to improve<br />

customs readiness.<br />

“Brexit continues to weigh on<br />

consumer sentiment at a crucial time<br />

for the sector as we enter the peak<br />

trading period.”<br />

In his statement Sir Charlie, who<br />

stands down as chair next year, saluted<br />

his replacement, Sharon White, who<br />

will be the sixth chair of the John<br />

Lewis Partnership. He said: “She is an<br />

inspirational leader with the skills to take<br />

the Partnership forward and will take up<br />

her position in early 2020.”<br />

8 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


ENVIRONMENT<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group signs UN’s<br />

climate pledge – while<br />

Ecology BS leads way on<br />

banking commitment<br />

The start of the United Nations’ General<br />

Assembly in New York saw the launch<br />

of new pledges on the environment and<br />

banking – and from the UK, the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong><br />

Group and the Ecology Building Society<br />

are among the first signatories.<br />

The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group is the first UK retailer to<br />

sign the Our Only Future climate campaign,<br />

which calls on global businesses to help<br />

cap global temperature increases to 1.5°C<br />

above pre-industrial levels.<br />

The move follows the Group’s<br />

commitment earlier this year to further<br />

reductions in its greenhouse gas emissions<br />

of 50% by 2025. It said it has halved<br />

emissions in the 10 years from 2006 and<br />

by 20% in the last year alone.<br />

Measures taken by the retailer include<br />

the use of natural refrigerants, and<br />

minimising environmental impact<br />

through responsible sourcing on products<br />

such as sustainable soy. All its stores,<br />

offices and funeral homes already use<br />

100% renewable electricity.<br />

Its Only Future targets are aligned to a<br />

net-zero future and will be independently<br />

verified and assessed by the Science<br />

Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Scientists<br />

say these targets are necessary to prevent<br />

the worst impacts of climate change.<br />

Michael Fletcher, chief commercial<br />

officer for retail at the Group, said:<br />

p Paul Ellis, chief executive of the Ecology Building Society<br />

“Today is an important day in the global<br />

fight to combat climate catastr<strong>op</strong>he and<br />

we commend the UN in initiating such<br />

a large-scale call to action. It’s pleasing<br />

to see our co-<strong>op</strong> take its place alongside<br />

other prominent businesses who share<br />

our desire to take immediate and<br />

decisive action.<br />

“Accelerating efforts, by working<br />

collaboratively with independently<br />

agreed, accountable science-based targets<br />

in place, is the only way to proceed.”<br />

Another climate action from the UK<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> movement saw sector body<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK join the global Climate<br />

Strike, held around the world on 20<br />

September, and called on other co-<strong>op</strong>s to<br />

join the action.<br />

General secretary Ed Mayo said:<br />

“<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s have always been at the forefront<br />

of climate change activism, and we’re<br />

standing in solidarity with young<br />

campaigners, who are the co-<strong>op</strong>erators<br />

of the future.”<br />

Meanwhile, Ecology Building Society<br />

became one of the founding signatories<br />

of the UN’s Principles for Responsible<br />

Banking, a global initiative to align<br />

banking business with the <strong>Sustainable</strong><br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Goals and the Paris<br />

Agreement on climate change.<br />

An ethical finance pioneer, Ecology<br />

specialises in environmental lending and<br />

sustainable communities.<br />

It is the first building society to sign<br />

the principles, and joins a coalition<br />

of 130 banking providers worldwide,<br />

representing over US$47tn in assets.<br />

Ecology CEO Paul Ellis said: “Given the<br />

scale of the climate and ecological crisis,<br />

we need finance that serves pe<strong>op</strong>le and<br />

planet. The principles have the potential<br />

to drive systemic change, ensuring that<br />

the purpose of banking extends beyond<br />

profit to creating positive social and<br />

environmental impacts.<br />

“Signing up to the principles wasn’t<br />

a difficult decision for Ecology as we’ve<br />

been acting as pioneers of environmental<br />

finance since we were established. We’re<br />

proud to support these concerted efforts to<br />

build a sustainable future.”<br />

Other signatories include Dutch banking<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> Rabobank, Eur<strong>op</strong>ean ethical banking<br />

specialist Triodos, Canadian credit union<br />

federation Desjardins, <strong>Co</strong>sta Rican credit<br />

and services co-<strong>op</strong> <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eservidores, and<br />

French co-<strong>op</strong> bank Credit Agricole SA.<br />

“The principles are a guide for the<br />

global banking industry to respond to,<br />

drive and benefit from a sustainable<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment economy,” said UN secretary<br />

general Antonio Guterres. “They create<br />

the accountability that can realise<br />

responsibility, and the ambition that can<br />

drive action.”<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 9


POLITICS<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> agenda is ‘common sense’ for all parties, says <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK<br />

With a general election looking imminent,<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK has launched a<br />

campaign encouraging parliamentary<br />

candidates to support the sector.<br />

Themed “It’s common sense”, the policy<br />

agenda calls on the next government to<br />

unleash the potential of the co-<strong>op</strong> economy.<br />

It urges action to aim for one million<br />

employee and worker owners by 2030,<br />

help communities take control of their<br />

local economies, support high-impact<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> devel<strong>op</strong>ment, improve the<br />

<strong>op</strong>erating environment for co-<strong>op</strong>s and<br />

mutuals and support sector investment.<br />

To achieve this, <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK<br />

suggests measures such as providing<br />

funding for local awareness and<br />

support programmes, and extending the<br />

£3,600 income tax free allowance on<br />

bonuses for employees of trust-owned<br />

companies to bonuses paid to members<br />

of worker co-<strong>op</strong>s.<br />

Other steps include earmarking 25% of<br />

the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund for<br />

community-led economic devel<strong>op</strong>ment or<br />

using the next tranche of dormant assets<br />

to establish ‘community wealth funds’.<br />

Another pr<strong>op</strong>osal is to offer corporation<br />

tax exemption of a percentage of<br />

any surplus that a co-<strong>op</strong> chooses to<br />

pay into an accredited co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment institution.<br />

LEPs and combined authorities<br />

should also include support for co-<strong>op</strong><br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment in their Local Industrial<br />

Strategies and ensure they have the<br />

funding to make an impact, adds<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK.<br />

In terms of legislation, the policy<br />

agenda pr<strong>op</strong>oses giving co-<strong>op</strong>s the <strong>op</strong>tion<br />

of applying statutory protection to their<br />

common, non-distributable capital. At<br />

the same time, it believes legislative<br />

responsibility for co-<strong>op</strong>s should be moved<br />

from the Treasury to the Department<br />

for Business.<br />

To support investment in co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

and mutuals, the trade body advises<br />

establishing criteria and a checking<br />

process that allows some co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

societies to benefit from Social Investment<br />

Tax Relief; creating a new tax relief<br />

that exempts from corporation tax a<br />

percentage of any surplus that a co-<strong>op</strong><br />

pays into its non-distributable reserves;<br />

and supporting the British Business<br />

Bank to create a new equity-based<br />

impact investment fund that responds<br />

to the distinct nature of co-<strong>op</strong>s and<br />

other mutuals.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK is asking members<br />

to share its policy agenda through their<br />

networks and email it to their local MP and<br />

prospective parliamentary candidates.<br />

BREXIT<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Party MPs attack government on Brexit<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Party MPs have been vocal in their<br />

<strong>op</strong>position to the government’s handling<br />

of the Brexit process and decision to<br />

prorogue Parliament.<br />

The prorogation was ruled unlawful<br />

by the Supreme <strong>Co</strong>urt on 24 September,<br />

and when MPs met the following day<br />

Barry Sheerman, Labour/<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> MP<br />

for Huddersfield, reacted furiously to<br />

comments by attorney general Geoffrey<br />

<strong>Co</strong>x, who said Parliament had “no moral<br />

right” to sit.<br />

Mr Sheerman responded: “Every word<br />

he has uttered today shows no shame ...<br />

The fact is that this government cynically<br />

manipulated the prorogation to shut<br />

down this house, so that it could not work<br />

as a democratic assembly.<br />

“For a man like him, a party like his, and<br />

a leader like this prime minister to talk<br />

about morals and morality is a disgrace.”<br />

Meanwhile, Party chair Anna Turley,<br />

MP for Redcar, told the BBC she still<br />

wants to see a referendum on a Brexit deal<br />

before a general election. “In an area like<br />

mine, Brexit will increase unemployment<br />

– specifically a no-deal Brexit but even a<br />

soft Brexit,” she said.<br />

“Any agreement is going to the economy<br />

of my region. So Brexit to me is all about<br />

jobs and livelihoods and child poverty.”<br />

From elsewhere in the co-<strong>op</strong> movement,<br />

Steve Murrells, chief executive of the<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group, has said the vote to leave the<br />

EU might have been avoided if the UK had<br />

a more inclusive, co-<strong>op</strong>erative economy.<br />

Speaking to the Yorkshire post, he<br />

pointed to a disconnect between voters<br />

and politicians in Westminster.<br />

“What was affecting pe<strong>op</strong>le locally<br />

in the north wasn’t being recognised by<br />

Whitehall and government,” he said.<br />

“Those problems that were starting<br />

three years ago have now got considerably<br />

worse. One of the solutions is having more<br />

social enterprises and more co-<strong>op</strong>s to run<br />

business in a different way.<br />

“At a time when there is real division,<br />

the country needs more co-<strong>op</strong>s and it<br />

needs more collaboration.”<br />

p Barry Sheerman MP<br />

Mr Murrells has also discussed the<br />

Group’s preparations in the event of a nodeal<br />

Brexit, confirming that the retailer<br />

would be stockpiling essentials like toilet<br />

rolls, water and long-life grocery products.<br />

“We’re confident that our supply<br />

chains, certainly in the grocery and longlife<br />

products, will be sufficient to get<br />

through this period of time if we crash<br />

out with no deal,” he said, but warned<br />

“there will likely be some gaps” on the<br />

shelves by November.<br />

10 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


RETAIL<br />

Retail societies<br />

grateful for bumper<br />

food bank donations<br />

p A food bank appeal at Central England<br />

Food bank campaigns at Midcounties and<br />

Central England co-<strong>op</strong>s look set to receive<br />

donations of more than 250,000 items.<br />

In response to Central England’s<br />

Summer Food Bank Appeal, 165,000<br />

items were donated during a three-month<br />

period – enough food to feed 42,500<br />

children. It was used to create packed<br />

lunches for projects that tackle holiday<br />

hunger during the summertime,<br />

as well as meal parcels for families.<br />

Central England <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> chief executive,<br />

Debbie Robinson, said: “I and everyone<br />

involved with our Summer Food Bank<br />

Appeal have been overwhelmed with the<br />

stunning generosity of our customers<br />

and members.<br />

“They have ensured that thousands of<br />

children at risk of going hungry have been<br />

fed during the school holidays – ensuring<br />

they remain fit and healthy and could<br />

enjoy their holidays to the full.”<br />

Meanwhile, Midcounties is on track<br />

to surpass last year’s figure of 100,000<br />

donations to its food bank partners.<br />

The co-<strong>op</strong> works with food banks in the<br />

Trussell Trust’s network, as well as linking<br />

up with schools and community-based<br />

start-ups. In addition, colleagues have<br />

supported the project by volunteering at<br />

the Warwick and Leamington Food Bank.<br />

Mike Pickering, CSR manager at<br />

Midcounties, said: “Our colleagues,<br />

members and sh<strong>op</strong>pers are really engaged<br />

with our efforts knowing that they are<br />

helping to make a difference to the lives<br />

of pe<strong>op</strong>le in their area. We’ll continue to<br />

work closely with our partners so that we<br />

can continue offering help to those who<br />

need it most.”<br />

Leisure services provider picks up social business gong<br />

Aura Leisure, which manages leisure and<br />

cultural services in Flintshire, was named<br />

Welsh Social Enterprise of the Year at<br />

the Social Business Wales Awards. The<br />

event, hosted by the Wales <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Centre ahead of the Social Business Wales<br />

conference in Llandudno, north Wales.<br />

u Read more about the conference and<br />

award winners, p34-35<br />

Organic co-<strong>op</strong> Omsco wins big at Global Cheese Awards<br />

Omsco, the Organic Milk Suppliers<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>, has received six awards for its USDAcertified<br />

Organic Kingdom Cheddar range<br />

at the <strong>2019</strong> Global Cheese Awards. The<br />

UK’s largest farmer-owned and farmer-run<br />

organic dairy co-<strong>op</strong>, which supplies over<br />

70% of the UK’s organic Cheddar, was<br />

awarded three gold results in the categories<br />

of UK organic cheese, finest mature Cheddar<br />

and cheese for export.<br />

Shortlist announced for <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Energy Award<br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmunity Energy England (CEE) and<br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmunity Energy Wales (CEW) have<br />

announced the shortlisted entries for<br />

the <strong>2019</strong> <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Energy Award.<br />

Registration for the conference and awards<br />

is free, and CEE and CEW encourage all<br />

those interested in community energy<br />

to attend. More information is available<br />

tinyurl.com/y6dsrs8n<br />

Heart of England <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> appoints new director to board<br />

Scott Arlidge was voted on to the board of<br />

the Heart of England <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>. Mr Arlidge has<br />

been a member of the Society for nine years<br />

and has an extensive background in retail.<br />

He works with the society’s <strong>Co</strong>ventry<br />

Member <strong>Co</strong>mmittee, and with the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong><br />

Group as a <strong>Co</strong>ventry Member Pioneer,<br />

promoting community engagement.<br />

Scotmid aims to raise £300k for stroke survivors<br />

Scotmid <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative has announced<br />

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland as its<br />

<strong>2019</strong>/20 charity of the year – and that<br />

it aims to raise £300,000 to support<br />

stroke survivors. The retailer is also<br />

partnering with Northern Ireland Chest<br />

Heart & Stroke (NICHS) and England’s<br />

Different Strokes.<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 11


AWARDS<br />

Revolver coffee co-<strong>op</strong> celebrates fifth award-winning year<br />

The Revolver World <strong>Co</strong>ffee <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

has won a Great Taste Award for the fifth<br />

consecutive year.<br />

The awards, organised by the Guild<br />

of Fine Food, are an acknowledged<br />

benchmark for fine food and drink.<br />

Winners are presented with a star rating<br />

for the taste and quality of their products.<br />

Although many coffees are entered into<br />

the awards, there are comparatively few<br />

winners and only a small percentage are<br />

Fairtrade coffees.<br />

West Midlands-based Revolver’s<br />

specialty Sumatra coffee achieved a onestar<br />

rating. Judges described it as “big<br />

and bold, smooth within its strength<br />

boundary, perhaps a tad astringent.<br />

Some debate about the strength of<br />

extraction. But it fulfils amply extractions<br />

of Sumatran coffee, a sound choice.”<br />

Revolver’s chair, John Boyle, said: “It’s<br />

the pe<strong>op</strong>le behind the scenes who make<br />

the magic happen, the credit goes to the<br />

farmers and their co-<strong>op</strong>eratives who<br />

care deeply about the product and our<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative colleagues in stores.”<br />

CEO Paul Birch, said: “This is the fifth<br />

year running we have won. It’s great to<br />

work with expert buyers and roasters who<br />

are able to get the best out of the product.”<br />

The co-<strong>op</strong> has also launched a new<br />

range of luxury Belgian drinking<br />

chocolate in partnership with renowned<br />

Belgian chocolatiers Callebaut. The<br />

product is made out of real shards of milk<br />

or white chocolate.<br />

The chocolate is part of the <strong>Co</strong>coa<br />

Horizons Foundation – a programme that<br />

improves the livelihoods of cocoa farmers<br />

and their communities through the<br />

promotion of sustainable, entrepreneurial<br />

farming, improved productivity and<br />

community devel<strong>op</strong>ment.<br />

Revolver is organised as a multistakeholder<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative, and members<br />

include producers in the devel<strong>op</strong>ing<br />

world. It ranks first for ethics as judged by<br />

Ethical <strong>Co</strong>nsumer Magazine.<br />

EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP<br />

Award-winning Scottish<br />

TV firm switches<br />

over to EO model<br />

Eighteen staff at Stornoway-based<br />

production company MacTV have been<br />

given a stake in the organisation after<br />

it became Scotland’s newest employeeowned<br />

business.<br />

Established in 2001, award-winning<br />

MacTV is the largest independent TV<br />

company in the Highlands and Islands.<br />

Specialising in factual documentary, arts<br />

and music programmes, it is one of the<br />

largest producers of programming for BBC<br />

ALBA – the Scottish Gaelic-language freeto-air<br />

television channel jointly owned by<br />

the BBC and MG ALBA.<br />

In recent years, the company has also<br />

been involved in a variety of international<br />

co-productions, working with companies<br />

in Canada, Ireland, Iceland and Wales.<br />

MacTV made the switch to employee<br />

ownership after the retirement of<br />

managing director Bill Morrison, who<br />

wants it to remain in Stornoway and to<br />

retain the company’s positive community<br />

ethos and culture.<br />

With the support of <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Scotland – the arm of<br />

Scotland’s Enterprise Agencies that<br />

promotes employee ownership business<br />

models – an employee ownership<br />

trust has been formed which will<br />

hold 90% of the shares on behalf<br />

of the employees.<br />

Mr Morrison said: “In the 18 years since<br />

it was established, the hugely talented<br />

and hard-working team here at MacTV<br />

have helped build a highly regarded<br />

production company.<br />

“With a workforce truly rooted in<br />

the community, the passion, skills and<br />

local knowledge of our staff is vital to<br />

the quality of our output. A traditional<br />

trade sale may have seen us bought by a<br />

competitor, potentially risking job security<br />

and compromising our offering. Employee<br />

ownership ensures the company is owned<br />

by and run for the benefit of those closest<br />

to it, while providing ongoing economic<br />

benefit to the area by anchoring the work<br />

and jobs in the local community.”<br />

Head of <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

Scotland, Clare Alexander, said: “It’s<br />

great to see that a business with such a<br />

distinct and important offering is handing<br />

over the reins to its staff. We wish MacTV<br />

every success and look forward to seeing<br />

how the workforce shapes its future.”<br />

12 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


GLOBAL UPDATES<br />

GLOBAL<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s and credit unions respond to Hurricane Dorian<br />

The Worldwide Foundation for Credit<br />

Unions is sending US$10,000 (£8,149)<br />

in Project Storm Break funds to the<br />

Caribbean after Hurricane Dorian.<br />

Seven pe<strong>op</strong>le lost their lives and 13,000<br />

homes were damaged or destroyed when<br />

the storm hit the Bahamas on 1 September.<br />

The foundation, the charitable arm of<br />

World <strong>Co</strong>uncil of Credit Unions, launched<br />

Project Storm Break to allow an immediate<br />

response to natural disasters.<br />

The money will go to the Caribbean<br />

<strong>Co</strong>nfederation of Credit Unions (CCCU)<br />

to help credit unions get back up and<br />

running to provide cash and other<br />

financial services.<br />

According to CCCU, one credit union has<br />

suffered flooding up to the second floor of<br />

its building. The federation continues to<br />

assess Dorian’s impact on credit unions<br />

on Grand Bahama and Abaco, the two<br />

Bahamian islands that suffered the most<br />

severe wind and flood damage.<br />

“We want to help these communitybased<br />

institutions get back in business<br />

and servicing members as soon as<br />

possible – even if it is in a parking lot<br />

tent or other temporary location for now,”<br />

said Mike Reuter, executive director of the<br />

Worldwide Foundation.<br />

“Getting these credit unions back on<br />

their feet is the best step we can take to<br />

getting their members back on a path to<br />

a sustainable future.”<br />

After hitting the Caribbean, Dorian<br />

p Storm Dorian taken by Nick Hague on-board the ISS (Photo: NASA)<br />

struck the USA, where electric co-<strong>op</strong>s have<br />

been assisting with recovery efforts.<br />

Lineworkers – from Southwest<br />

Tennessee Electric Membership<br />

<strong>Co</strong>rporation in Brownsville and<br />

Sequachee Valley Electric <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative<br />

in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, headed<br />

for Georgia and North Carolina to<br />

restore power.<br />

“Lineworkers have a desire to serve<br />

others,” says David Callis, executive<br />

vice president and general manager<br />

of the Tennessee Electric <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Association. “It always impresses me how<br />

quickly our crews volunteer to help, even<br />

without knowing the conditions they will<br />

face or how long they will be away from<br />

their families.”<br />

North Carolina Electric <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> said its<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s were also ready to respond quickly.<br />

“Our state has seen its share of<br />

destructive hurricanes during the last<br />

few years, and co-<strong>op</strong>erative line crews<br />

are storm-tested,” said Nelle Hotchkiss,<br />

senior vice president and chief <strong>op</strong>erating<br />

officer of association services for North<br />

Carolina’s Electric <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives. “They<br />

are highly trained, highly experienced and<br />

committed to restoring power to members<br />

as quickly as is safely possible.”<br />

USA<br />

Jessica Gordon Nembhard is a finalist for the Not the Nobel prize<br />

Political economist Jessica Gordon<br />

Nembhard is one of the finalists for the<br />

Not the Nobel prize.<br />

The prize was created by charity<br />

Promoting Economic Pluralism, which<br />

argues that the Nobel Prize has been given<br />

to ideas which have led to ecological<br />

breakdown and financial crisis.<br />

Dr Nembhard is professor of community<br />

justice and social economic devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

in the Department of Africana Studies at<br />

John Jay <strong>Co</strong>llege, City University of NY.<br />

Her work includes study of communitybased<br />

economic devel<strong>op</strong>ment, alternative<br />

urban devel<strong>op</strong>ment, co-<strong>op</strong> economics and<br />

worker ownership, racial and economic<br />

inequality, credit unions and communitybased<br />

asset building.<br />

In 2014, she published <strong>Co</strong>llective<br />

<strong>Co</strong>urage: A History of African American<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative Economic Thought and<br />

Practice based on 15 years of research,<br />

and she was inducted into the into the US<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative Hall of Fame in 2016.<br />

Nominations for the prize, who did not<br />

make the final, include Ed Mayo, secretary<br />

general of <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK and solidarity<br />

economy project <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eration Jackson.<br />

14 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


GLOBAL<br />

Big corporates<br />

make ethical pledge<br />

– but co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

leader greets it with<br />

‘a dose of cynicism’<br />

A group of 181 chief executives from<br />

some of the world’s largest corporations<br />

have signed a joint statement of purpose,<br />

committing them to delivering value for<br />

all stakeholders.<br />

In addition to generating long-term<br />

value for shareholders, the companies<br />

pledged to deliver value to customers,<br />

invest in their employees, deal fairly and<br />

ethically with their suppliers and support<br />

local communities.<br />

A symbolic document, the joint<br />

statement was announced on 19 August<br />

by Business Roundtable, a non-profit<br />

association.<br />

“This new statement better reflects the<br />

way corporations can and should <strong>op</strong>erate<br />

today,” said Alex Gorsky, chair of the<br />

board and chief executive of Johnson<br />

& Johnson and chair of the Business<br />

Roundtable <strong>Co</strong>rporate Governance<br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmittee. “It affirms the essential<br />

role corporations can play in improving<br />

our society when CEOs are truly<br />

committed to meeting the needs of<br />

all stakeholders.”<br />

Not all members of Business<br />

Roundtable signed the document, with<br />

seven declining to put their names on it.<br />

State Farm, a mutual insurer, abstained<br />

from signing on the grounds that it has<br />

no shareholders.<br />

Under fiduciary duty, CEOs of<br />

corporations have a legal obligation to<br />

protect shareholder interest.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmenting on the statement, Doug<br />

O’Brien, chief executive of US co-<strong>op</strong><br />

sector body NCBA Clusa, said co-<strong>op</strong>s are<br />

still the main enterprises contributing to<br />

building an economy for all.<br />

He wrote: “As a member of the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative community, I read this<br />

statement with some <strong>op</strong>timism, curiosity,<br />

and a dose of cynicism: Optimism because<br />

it is good to see more of the business<br />

community joining co-<strong>op</strong>eratives in<br />

realising the need for businesses to<br />

help create a more inclusive economy;<br />

curiosity as I wondered why it took so<br />

long; and cynicism because I doubt<br />

that the C-<strong>Co</strong>rporation model is an<br />

effective vehicle for this goal given the<br />

overwhelming policy environment that<br />

suggests the continued priority toward<br />

institutional investors.”<br />

Mr O’Brien encouraged those<br />

considering the interests of a broader<br />

array of stakeholders to look at what<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative businesses were doing.<br />

“These businesses are owned, controlled,<br />

and benefit the pe<strong>op</strong>le who use the<br />

business,” he wrote. “Because of this,<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>eratives tend to keep more wealth<br />

local and reflect the values of the pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

who use the business – rather than<br />

institutional investors.”<br />

He said co-<strong>op</strong>erative business<br />

models had helped farmers c<strong>op</strong>e with<br />

industrialisation challenges in the 20th<br />

century, enabled rural communities to<br />

bring electricity to the farther reaches<br />

of the country when for investor-owned<br />

utilities refused to do so and allowed<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le to control their own financial<br />

futures and keep more local dollars in<br />

their community.<br />

“<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives have been used for<br />

generations and have gone to scale in<br />

empowering pe<strong>op</strong>le in their businesses<br />

and communities,” he wrote. “Now is time<br />

to look at how this business model can<br />

help empower pe<strong>op</strong>le and communities in<br />

the future.<br />

“<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s are poised to help tackle the<br />

challenges facing this nation and the<br />

globe, such as inequality, climate change<br />

and the sometimes-negative influence<br />

of information technology on our work<br />

and lives.<br />

“We think it’s nice that leaders<br />

from the biggest corporations have<br />

recognised the dissatisfaction with<br />

the status quo. We know that co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

are a key strategy to empower pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

and communities in building a more<br />

inclusive economy,”<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 15


GLOBAL<br />

Agr<strong>op</strong>ur joins G7 business coalition<br />

to promote inclusive growth<br />

Canadian dairy co-<strong>op</strong> Agr<strong>op</strong>ur is teaming<br />

up with 33 other global companies to<br />

advance human rights throughout their<br />

value chains, build inclusive workplaces<br />

and strengthen inclusion in their internal<br />

and external business ecosystems.<br />

The Business for Inclusive Growth<br />

(B4IG) coalition is the first business-led<br />

initiative of its kind and will work with the<br />

Organisation for Economic <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eration<br />

and Devel<strong>op</strong>ment (OECD).<br />

It will focus on advancing the G7’s efforts<br />

to strengthen equality of <strong>op</strong>portunity,<br />

tackle regional disadvantages and fight<br />

gender discrimination.<br />

The coalition was launched on 23<br />

August by French president Emmanuel<br />

Macron at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in<br />

Biarritz, France. The 34 businesses have<br />

committed to investing US$1bn in more<br />

than 50 initiatives. The projects have<br />

already helped 100 million pe<strong>op</strong>le.<br />

The coalition has devel<strong>op</strong>ed a threepillar<br />

strategy, with a pledges on<br />

inequalities and advance human rights;<br />

workplace inclusion and diversity; and<br />

value chain inclusiveness. The businesses<br />

will also create an incubator to design or<br />

expand new inclusive business models<br />

and an inclusive growth financing forum,<br />

involving business, governments and<br />

philanthr<strong>op</strong>ic actors.<br />

The coalition will share its lessons<br />

during an annual board meeting, with<br />

CEOs and key figures from public and<br />

civil society sectors, including the<br />

International Labour Organization and<br />

the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.<br />

Robert <strong>Co</strong>allier, CEO of Agr<strong>op</strong>ur, said:<br />

“We are very pleased to be part of the B4IG<br />

coalition and contribute, with our unique<br />

business model based on co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

values, to the necessary shift towards<br />

more inclusive growth.<br />

“We believe we can generate positive<br />

social impacts by helping to build a<br />

stronger, more inclusive workplace and<br />

rural communities. These are important<br />

steps towards a more sustainable future,<br />

a vision that is embraced by our members<br />

p Business leaders from Agr<strong>op</strong>ur and the<br />

other companies announcing the Business<br />

for Inclusive Growth coalition<br />

and in line with our promise: ‘Better Dairy,<br />

Better World.’”<br />

Gabriela Ramos, OECD chief of staff<br />

and G7 Sherpa, said: “Growing inequality<br />

is one of the biggest social challenges in<br />

the world today. <strong>Sustainable</strong> economic<br />

growth means inclusive economic growth.<br />

It means giving every individual the<br />

<strong>op</strong>portunity to fulfil her or his potential,<br />

the chance not only to contribute to a<br />

nation’s growth but to benefit from it,<br />

regardless of their background or origins.<br />

“The OECD welcomes this initiative<br />

to involve some of the world’s most<br />

important companies to work hand in<br />

hand with governments and the OECD. We<br />

will continue to lead the way in its policy<br />

analysis, research and expertise.”<br />

USA<br />

US farming co-<strong>op</strong> launches landmark sustainability programme<br />

Land O’Lakes Sustain – the sustainable<br />

solutions arm of the US agri co-<strong>op</strong> – has<br />

partnered with global food producer Tate<br />

& Lyle to bolster the sustainability of 1.5<br />

million acres of US-grown corn.<br />

The programme will use the Truterra<br />

Insights Engine – technology from Land<br />

O’Lakes Sustain – to help midwestern<br />

American corn farmers measure their<br />

efforts to protect the environment.<br />

Participants will receive customised<br />

support to help them make measurable<br />

improvements on greenhouse emissions,<br />

nitrogen efficiency, water and wind<br />

erosion and soil quality.<br />

Tate & Lyle aims to enable more<br />

sustainable farming practices, support<br />

its customers’ environmental initiatives<br />

and impact reporting, and increase<br />

transparency throughout the food and<br />

beverage industry.<br />

As part of the programme, Tate<br />

& Lyle will use the technology to access<br />

information on the enrolled acreage and<br />

have greater visibility of the improvements<br />

it is helping to drive in air and water<br />

quality and soil health, providing a more<br />

transparent value chain for its customers.<br />

Nick Hampton, Tate & Lyle CEO, said:<br />

“<strong>Co</strong>rn is our main raw material and we are<br />

proud to have the <strong>op</strong>portunity to make a<br />

positive impact on the lives of US farmers.<br />

Through this unique programme, we are<br />

helping to protect farmer livelihoods and<br />

supporting their work to protect natural<br />

resources by encouraging sustainable<br />

agriculture best practices.”<br />

Beth Ford, president and CEO of Land<br />

O’Lakes, Inc, said: “As a farmer-owned<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative, Land O’Lakes knows<br />

stewardship starts at the farm gate, with<br />

the farmer. The Truterra Insights Engine<br />

is changing the game for sustainability<br />

led by farmers and their retailers. It’s<br />

equipping them with new solutions<br />

that help protect the air, soil and water,<br />

and benchmark their progress in a way<br />

that’s meaningful.”<br />

16 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


CANADA<br />

Calgary <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> pulls its business out of co-<strong>op</strong> distribution network<br />

Canadian retailer Calgary <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> is to<br />

cease purchasing from procurement<br />

and distribution co-<strong>op</strong> Federated<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives Ltd (FCL), which warns the<br />

decision will have a “significant” impact<br />

on its business.<br />

Calgary <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>, which reported $1.3bn<br />

in sales in 2018, said in an email to<br />

its 400,000 members that will switch<br />

suppliers to the Alberta-based distribution<br />

arm of supermarket chain Save-On-Foods,<br />

a private company.<br />

The move takes effect in April 2020,<br />

although the retailer will still obtain<br />

gasoline and convenience store products<br />

from FCL. Calgary <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> says the move<br />

will “better serve members and ensure<br />

long-term sustainability”, and allow it to<br />

add exclusive private brands to its range.<br />

Calgary <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> spokeswoman, Sage<br />

Pullen McIntosh, said its food business<br />

“<strong>op</strong>erates in an increasingly challenging<br />

economic and competitive market.<br />

“Positioning our food business model<br />

for unique differentiation will allow us<br />

to reflect our members’ needs. We are<br />

accountable to them.”<br />

Calgary <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> will continue to work with<br />

an increasing number of local producers<br />

and stocking more local produce, she<br />

added, and will be hiring staff to deal with<br />

the change<br />

But FCL, which is collectively owned<br />

by 170 retail co-<strong>op</strong>s across the prairies<br />

of western Canada, said its largest<br />

wholesale customer’s decision to take its<br />

grocery business elsewhere will have a<br />

“significant” impact on its <strong>op</strong>erations in<br />

Calgary and cut into its bottom line.<br />

FCL’s executive vice president for<br />

customer experience and stakeholder<br />

engagement, Vic Huard, said around 200<br />

jobs will be affected in Calgary, and there<br />

would also be impact on jobs at its head<br />

office in Saskatoon.<br />

“It puts Calgary <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> in a situation<br />

where they’re sourcing from a direct<br />

competitor, which for us, to be honest,<br />

raises all sorts of questions about the long<br />

term,” Huard said.<br />

But while Calgary <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>’s decision<br />

is “disappointing”, Mr Huard says the<br />

business will recover. “We’ll weather this<br />

and come out the other side,” he added.<br />

Academic and co-<strong>op</strong> specialist<br />

Murray Fulton from the University of<br />

Saskatchewan told the Calgary Herald the<br />

switch to a private supplier is an unusual<br />

move for a co-<strong>op</strong>.<br />

“It’s certainly necessary for co-<strong>op</strong>s to<br />

be constantly adapting,” he added. “But<br />

under a co-<strong>op</strong> model, you’re part of a<br />

system and your success is dependent on<br />

the success of the entire system. And in<br />

this case, Calgary <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> has decided to go<br />

out entirely on their own.”<br />

Toronto housing co-<strong>op</strong> receives $2.2m from Canadian government<br />

A housing co-<strong>op</strong> in Toronto has been<br />

awarded CA$2.2m (£1.3m) from the<br />

Canadian government’s National Housing<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-Investment Fund (NHCF).<br />

Harmony “B” Housing <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eration<br />

<strong>Co</strong>rp is a 78-unit rental co-<strong>op</strong> in the<br />

heart of the city. The construction of<br />

its apartments and town houses was<br />

completed back in 1981, and the funds<br />

will enable the pr<strong>op</strong>erty to undergo repair<br />

and modernisation.<br />

The National Housing <strong>Co</strong>-Investment<br />

Fund (NHCF) is a pillar initiative of the<br />

Canadian government’s National Housing<br />

Strategy – and the largest programme of<br />

its kind in Canadian history.<br />

With a budget of $13.2bn (£8.1bn),<br />

NHCF gives priority to projects that help<br />

those in greatest need, including women<br />

and children fleeing family violence;<br />

indigenous pe<strong>op</strong>les; veterans; young<br />

adults; pe<strong>op</strong>le with disabilities and those<br />

dealing with mental health problems<br />

and addictions.<br />

The National Housing Strategy (NHS)<br />

is a 10-year, $55bn (£34bn) plan to create<br />

125,000 new housing units; lift 530,000<br />

families out of housing need; repair<br />

and renew more than 300,000 housing<br />

units and reduce chronic homelessness<br />

by 50%.<br />

Adam Vaughan, parliamentary<br />

secretary to the minister of families,<br />

children and social devel<strong>op</strong>ment, said:<br />

“Our government continues to invest in<br />

affordable housing here in Toronto and<br />

across Canada to improve the quality of<br />

life of those who need it most. With this<br />

funding, we are able to give a helping hand<br />

to individuals in need, and in doing so,<br />

we are contributing to the economic and<br />

social wellbeing of the entire community.”<br />

Vit Hrdlicka, treasurer of Harmony<br />

“B” Housing <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative, said:<br />

“We are pleased to receive $2.2m in<br />

financial commitment from the federal<br />

government under the National Housing<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-Investment Fund programme. Access<br />

to this funding will allow us to complete<br />

urgent repairs.”<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 17


IRELAND<br />

Lakeland Dairies co-<strong>op</strong> announces 68 redundancies<br />

A major all-Ireland dairy processing co-<strong>op</strong><br />

is making lay-offs at its site in Monaghan<br />

to reduce <strong>op</strong>erating costs.<br />

On 30 August the board of Lakeland<br />

Dairies co-<strong>op</strong> approved a plan to adjust<br />

its processing activities at the site<br />

in Monaghan, which will see some<br />

<strong>op</strong>erations cease or transfer to other<br />

locations. A total of 130 staff are employed<br />

at the Monaghan site, 68 of whom will<br />

be made redundant. Some employees<br />

will be redeployed elsewhere within<br />

the business.<br />

The Monaghan site belonged to<br />

LacPatrick, which merged with Lakeland<br />

in April to form the second-largest dairy<br />

processor in Ireland.<br />

The co-<strong>op</strong> said the Monaghan site had<br />

faced significant and recurring losses<br />

prior to the merger. It also argued the site<br />

had “little or no investment in processing<br />

capabilities over the years.”<br />

Michael Hanley, CEO of Lakeland<br />

Dairies said: “It is essential for us to realise<br />

efficiencies from within our merged group<br />

of processing facilities and to achieve<br />

sustainable profitability in the interests of<br />

our farm families on a long-term basis for<br />

the future.”<br />

He argued the plan would reduce<br />

<strong>op</strong>erating costs while providing for<br />

the continuation of strategic units for<br />

the business. “Arising from this<br />

adjustment of <strong>op</strong>erations, it is regrettably<br />

the case that a number of redundancies<br />

will be required in Monaghan and we will<br />

enter into consultation to discuss the roles<br />

that will be affected.<br />

“We will also be providing details of any<br />

redeployment <strong>op</strong>portunities available in<br />

other parts of the Lakeland Group. Of the<br />

130 jobs in Monaghan, there will be some<br />

68 redundancies on the site while some<br />

will be redeployed elsewhere within the<br />

Lakeland Group.<br />

“Lakeland Dairies processes over<br />

1.85 billion litres of milk annually<br />

and allocates this milk as flexibly and<br />

profitably as possible to different sites<br />

and into different product areas which are<br />

in the highest market demand, yielding<br />

the highest milk price, at different times<br />

throughout any given year. While this<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment is difficult for everyone<br />

concerned, it is necessary to ensure we<br />

<strong>op</strong>erate our business in the most efficient<br />

manner. It has been the core strategy<br />

of Lakeland Dairies to ensure that all<br />

sites are run as profitably as possible to<br />

ensure we are well-positioned to meet<br />

the demand of a competitive global dairy<br />

market while protecting the future of our<br />

3,200 farm families.”<br />

u Irish co-<strong>op</strong>s in milk price row - p20<br />

DENMARK<br />

Arla Foods reports positive half-yearly<br />

results but warns about hard Brexit impact<br />

Multinational dairy co-<strong>op</strong> Arla Foods<br />

has managed to increase its revenue<br />

and profits during the first half of its<br />

financial year.<br />

Revenue for Arla – owned by 10,300<br />

dairy farmers in Sweden, Denmark,<br />

Germany, the UK, Belgium, Netherlands<br />

and Luxembourg – increased to £987m<br />

for the first half of <strong>2019</strong>, 3% more than the<br />

same period in 2018.<br />

During the six months, Arla was also<br />

able to provide its farmer-owners the<br />

same milk price. Revenue increased for<br />

some of its brands such as BoB (46%),<br />

Lactofree (6%), Organic (12%) and Arla<br />

Pro (48%), helping to drive the total<br />

Arla strategic branded revenue growth<br />

by 7%.<br />

The co-<strong>op</strong> said the positive results had<br />

been determined by decreased market<br />

volatility, the success of its transformation<br />

programme, a strong branded agenda<br />

and a co-<strong>op</strong>erative mindset.<br />

Natalie Knight, group CFO, said: “We<br />

have continued to build engagement<br />

and relevance of our brands through<br />

innovative products, brand activation<br />

and digital content. <strong>Co</strong>nsumers are<br />

pushing for more nourishing and<br />

sustainable food choices, which is why<br />

our intensified climate agenda will help<br />

increase both the understanding of our<br />

farmer owned co-<strong>op</strong>erative model and our<br />

competitive advantage”.<br />

In <strong>October</strong> 2018 Arla launched its UK<br />

360 programme, which aims to devel<strong>op</strong><br />

an animal welfare and farm management<br />

standard for its farmer members. The<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> is working with retailers to support<br />

farmers during the transition.<br />

Also in 2018, Arla started a threeyear<br />

transformation programme called<br />

Calcium which has delivered €97m of the<br />

€75-100m full year target for <strong>2019</strong>.<br />

The co-<strong>op</strong> believed the programme<br />

could deliver at €100m in <strong>2019</strong> although<br />

it admits that savings will be significantly<br />

lower in the second half of the<br />

year compared to the first half.<br />

In terms of full-year expectations,<br />

Arla warns that external factors that<br />

could negatively impact these, along<br />

with the volatility of the global milk<br />

markets. The co-<strong>op</strong>’s revenue projections<br />

for full year <strong>2019</strong> are €10.2-10.6bn<br />

with the net profit share at 2.8-3.2% of<br />

the revenue.<br />

But a potential no-deal Brexit could<br />

negatively impact the outlook, warns Arla.<br />

18 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


SWEDEN<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong> Sweden<br />

begins same-day home<br />

delivery service<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong> Sweden has launched same-day<br />

grocery deliveries for online purchases in<br />

the Greater Stockholm area.<br />

The retailer launched the service on<br />

2 September, to meet consumer demand<br />

for flexibility and convenience.<br />

It has partnered with logistics company<br />

Widrikssons Åkeri on the venture,<br />

which uses delivery vehicles that run<br />

on fossil-free fuels certified by the<br />

Swedish eco-label, Bra Miljöval (Good<br />

Environmental Choice).<br />

Customers must place their order<br />

by 11.30am for same-day delivery can<br />

choose from three time slots – 6-8pm,<br />

7-9pm and 8-10pm.<br />

“This is the next step in our bid to<br />

offer the best and smoothest solution for<br />

sh<strong>op</strong>ping food online,” said Niklas Zeitlin,<br />

<strong>op</strong>erational manager at <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong> Online.<br />

“In recent months, we have continued<br />

to devel<strong>op</strong> our offering and launched<br />

several new delivery methods, but<br />

also started several pilots with new<br />

delivery solutions.<br />

“We want to ensure that our members<br />

and customers receive the service and<br />

flexibility they expect by sh<strong>op</strong>ping<br />

on co<strong>op</strong>.se.”<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong> plans to extend the service to other<br />

areas after initially offering the service in<br />

Greater Stockholm.<br />

Widrikssons CEO Johan Nyblom said:<br />

“Same-day deliveries require smart<br />

logistics, the right vehicles and personnel,<br />

and close co<strong>op</strong>eration between us as<br />

a carrier and the dealer.<br />

“We are really proud that we have<br />

now come up with a really good solution<br />

alongside <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>, for their members<br />

and customers.”<br />

$24m grants given to worker ownership transitions<br />

US funding institute Kendeda is giving<br />

US$24m in grants to four projects to boost<br />

“democratic employee ownership”. The<br />

fund says it is “dedicated to exploring<br />

how human beings can build a more just<br />

and equitable world, one in which we use<br />

resources wisely and relate to one another<br />

more mindfully”. The grant will enable<br />

more than 100 business transitions.<br />

Woccu helps Venezuelan refugees in <strong>Co</strong>lombia<br />

Hundreds of Venezuelan refugees living<br />

in <strong>Co</strong>lombia can now access savings and<br />

loans through a World <strong>Co</strong>uncil of Credit<br />

Unions (Woccu) programme. Devel<strong>op</strong>ed in<br />

the <strong>Co</strong>lombian departments of La Guajira<br />

and Arauca, Woccu’s pilot project is funded<br />

through a donation from the Financial<br />

Center First Credit Union. 25 savings and<br />

credit groups have been established.<br />

Walking the corridors of power ... in co-<strong>op</strong> shoes<br />

South Korean president Moon Jae-in buys<br />

his shoes from a local co-<strong>op</strong> called Agio.<br />

The brand was nicknamed The President’s<br />

Shoes after Mr Moon Jae-in was seen<br />

wearing the shoes at an international<br />

meeting. He bought the first pair of Agio<br />

shoes in 2012 and has been a client<br />

ever since. AGIO was set up in 2010 by<br />

current CEO Yoo Seok-young, to provide<br />

employment for pe<strong>op</strong>le with disabilities.<br />

Philippines pass new law to empower co-<strong>op</strong> sector<br />

The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo<br />

Duterte, has signed a law that re-organises<br />

the country’s <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

Authority (CDA), giving it greater power<br />

to promote co-<strong>op</strong>s. The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Authority Charter of <strong>2019</strong><br />

repeals a previous law that was passed in<br />

1990 to revise the CDA’s charter.<br />

Jamaican credit union awards grants to 29 students<br />

The Manchester <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Credit Union<br />

(MCCU) in Mandeville, Jamaica, has<br />

awarded grants to 29 students totalling<br />

$1.9m (£115,000) to assist their secondary<br />

and higher education. Twenty-one students<br />

receive the MCCU’s Primary Exit Profile<br />

(PEP) Bursary award and seven receive the<br />

Sydney Carter Bursary.<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 19


IRELAND<br />

Row continues<br />

over milk prices paid<br />

by Irish co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

The row over milk prices paid by Irish<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s to dairy farmers continues, with<br />

sector leaders demanding to know why<br />

payments are falling.<br />

Tom Feelan, chair of the national<br />

dairy committee at the Irish Farmers<br />

Association, has called on co-<strong>op</strong>s to<br />

address farmers’ questions as to why are<br />

milk prices falling, and why have they<br />

fallen so much behind Eur<strong>op</strong>ean levels.<br />

“Is it because of Brexit, is it because<br />

of markets, is it because of supplies?”<br />

he asked. “Why is the gap between the<br />

purchase price index and the price co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

pay farmers widening? Farmers need<br />

answers, they need to plan ahead.”<br />

Mr Phelan said average EU dairy market<br />

returns, spots and futures have all been<br />

inching up in recent weeks, and gave the<br />

example of two large Eur<strong>op</strong>ean co-<strong>op</strong>s –<br />

Friesland Campina and Arla – which are<br />

keeping prices steady.<br />

“So why have Irish co-<strong>op</strong>s been cutting<br />

milk prices several times since the<br />

beginning of <strong>2019</strong>?” he asked. “While<br />

overall milk price levels have eased over<br />

that period, Eur<strong>op</strong>ean averages have<br />

clearly stabilised since March, yet Irish<br />

prices have continued to dip.”<br />

He added: “<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s must send a clear<br />

signal to farmers that they will hold the<br />

milk price to year-end.”<br />

Dairy co-<strong>op</strong>s blame uncertain product<br />

prices brought on by excess supply<br />

for the problems, with a Dairygold<br />

spokesperson saying: “Dairy markets<br />

have been challenging and uncertain,<br />

with butter returns falling significantly,<br />

far outweighing the marginal increases in<br />

powder prices.<br />

“More recently, cheddar cheese returns<br />

have been negatively impacted, primarily<br />

due to the uncertainty over Brexit.<br />

Regrettably, a downward milk price<br />

adjustment is necessary.”<br />

The spokesperson added: “Dairygold<br />

will continue to monitor market<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ments on a monthly basis<br />

and remains vigilant with regard to<br />

maximising the commercial return and<br />

ensuring <strong>op</strong>erational efficiency.”<br />

Ornua, another co-<strong>op</strong> which has been<br />

revising prices downward, also blames<br />

a fall in cheese and butter prices.<br />

USA<br />

US credit unions to include diversity as the eighth co-<strong>op</strong> principle<br />

Diversity, equality and inclusion will<br />

become a co-<strong>op</strong>erative principle for credit<br />

unions in the USA.<br />

The Credit Union National Association<br />

(Cuna) voted in favour of a resolution to<br />

ad<strong>op</strong>t the principle, building on the work<br />

of former board chair of Cuna, Maurice<br />

Smith, CEO of Local Government FCU in<br />

Raleigh, who appointed a working group<br />

to examine what the movement could do<br />

to drive diversity.<br />

In February, which is commemorated as<br />

Black History Month, Mr Smith called on<br />

US credit unions to include diversity and<br />

inclusion as a co-<strong>op</strong>erative principle.<br />

While co-<strong>op</strong>erative principles one and<br />

two – <strong>op</strong>en and voluntary membership<br />

and democratic control – imply diversity<br />

and inclusion, he said, there is no explicit<br />

emphasis on these issues.<br />

“The credit union way is, and has<br />

always been, keenly fixated on members,”<br />

he wrote at the time. “Therefore, it stands<br />

to reason that all members should be<br />

engaged in the movement.<br />

“Still, there is more to diversity and<br />

inclusion than financial access for<br />

members. We need to hold each other<br />

accountable for equality, equity, and<br />

<strong>op</strong>portunity for members, volunteers, and<br />

credit union professionals.<br />

“It must be everywhere from the<br />

grassroots of our communities to the t<strong>op</strong><br />

of our credit unions or we will not fully<br />

serve our purpose.”<br />

The co-<strong>op</strong>erative principles date back<br />

to 1844 when they were set out by the<br />

Rochdale Pioneers. In 1937 they were<br />

ad<strong>op</strong>ted by the International <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Alliance, which updated them in 1966<br />

and 1995.<br />

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are a<br />

part of what credit unions do each and<br />

every day. Our co-<strong>op</strong>erative principles<br />

have guided us to fulfil our mandate and<br />

be a resource to all consumers – no matter<br />

their income, race, religion. But we’re<br />

committed to doing more,” said Cuna<br />

president and CEO Jim Nussle. “In passing<br />

this resolution, we’re continuing our work<br />

to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion<br />

efforts within our organisation while<br />

we support measures throughout our<br />

movement and across all co-<strong>op</strong>eratives.”<br />

20 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


CANADA<br />

Astronaut Chris Hadfield to launch<br />

Desjardins’ <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erathon <strong>2019</strong><br />

Canadian co-<strong>op</strong>erative financial group<br />

Desjardins launches its fourth annual<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erathon on 2 <strong>October</strong>, with $100,000<br />

(£62,000) to be won for innovative projects<br />

with positive social impact.<br />

The competition kicks off at the Olympic<br />

Stadium in Montreal with speakers<br />

including Chris Hadfield, the first<br />

Canadian astronaut to walk in space, and<br />

Peruvian teenager José Adolfo Quisocala<br />

<strong>Co</strong>ndori, who founded an eco children’s<br />

saving bank aged seven.<br />

Students, professionals, entrepreneurs<br />

and the socially conscious are invited to<br />

bring ideas and innovative solutions for<br />

a series of social challenges. Hundreds<br />

of pe<strong>op</strong>le are expected to help devel<strong>op</strong><br />

projects that create a positive impact in<br />

their communities, and work together in<br />

teams to put their ideas into action.<br />

The challenges cover six areas: finance,<br />

environment, agriculture, energy, health<br />

and education, and have been set by<br />

experts in each field. Once the challenges<br />

have been announced and ideas<br />

submitted, Desjardins and <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erathon<br />

partners will monitor and support the<br />

semi-finalists for 28 days.<br />

Each participant will receive guidance<br />

and support worth $5,000 (£3,000). The<br />

personalised support includes project<br />

meetings, worksh<strong>op</strong>s and training with<br />

a variety of accredited experts.<br />

Day one is <strong>op</strong>en to the general public<br />

and features internationally renowned<br />

speakers addressing innovation,<br />

entrepreneurship and social impact.<br />

Guy <strong>Co</strong>rmier, president and CEO of<br />

Desjardins, said: “I’m very proud of the<br />

programme we’ve put together. It relates<br />

directly to our values of engagement,<br />

interco-<strong>op</strong>eration and community<br />

solidarity. I’m honoured to be welcoming<br />

Chris Hadfield and to have the <strong>op</strong>portunity<br />

to speak with the world’s youngest<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative banker.”<br />

p Astronaut Chris Hadfield is among the<br />

<strong>op</strong>ening speakers (Photo: Nasa)<br />

The competition ends on 20 November<br />

with a grand finale at L’Olympia de<br />

Montréal. The winners will receive grants<br />

and funding totalling over $100,000.<br />

NEW ZEALAND<br />

Dairy co-<strong>op</strong><br />

Fonterra unveils net<br />

loss of $605m<br />

Dairy co-<strong>op</strong> Fonterra has announced a<br />

net loss after tax of NZ$605m (£310m) in<br />

its annual results. Chief executive Miles<br />

Hurrell noted an “incredibly tough” year,<br />

but added that the co-<strong>op</strong> had also made<br />

decisions to set it up for future success.<br />

“These included us reflecting changing<br />

realities in asset values and future<br />

earnings, lifting our financial discipline,<br />

getting clear on why we exist and<br />

completing a strategy review,” he said.<br />

“Many of these calls were painful, but<br />

they were needed to reset our business<br />

and achieve success in the future.<br />

“We made the decision to reduce<br />

the carrying value of several of our<br />

assets and take account of one-off<br />

accounting adjustments.<br />

“When it came to DPA Brazil, Fonterra<br />

Brands New Zealand and China Farms,<br />

we saw there were either some changes<br />

in their local economies, increased<br />

competition or business challenges<br />

impacting their forecast earnings. This<br />

meant we needed to reduce their carrying<br />

value. Clearly, any write-down of an asset<br />

is not done lightly. But what I h<strong>op</strong>e pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

can also see is that we’re leading the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> with a clear line of sight on potential<br />

<strong>op</strong>portunities as well as the risks.”<br />

Mr Hurrell said Fonterra’s normalised<br />

earnings per share for the year was 17<br />

cents, which was above the last forecast<br />

for the year of 10-15 cents.<br />

“The gross margin from our largest<br />

business, New Zealand Ingredients, was<br />

$1,332m (£681m), up 3% on last year due<br />

to increased sales and price performance.<br />

“Our Foodservice performance also<br />

improved on last year, with gross margin<br />

up 10%. This was despite lower total sales<br />

volumes, following a slow start to butter<br />

sales in Greater China and Asia.<br />

“But we can’t ignore that we had a<br />

number of challenges across the year.”<br />

In September 2018, Mr Hurrell set out<br />

a three-point plan – take stock of the<br />

business, get basics right and ensure more<br />

accurate forecasts. He said: “I’m pleased<br />

with the progress we’ve made with our<br />

financial discipline. You can see it in our<br />

improved cashflow, reduced debt and<br />

significant cost savings.<br />

“As part of taking stock of our business<br />

we reviewed our asset portfolio and<br />

made significant calls on three assets<br />

we identified as no longer core to our<br />

strategy. We sold Tip T<strong>op</strong> for $380m<br />

(£194m) and our share of DFE Pharma for<br />

$633m (£323m). We also wound back our<br />

relationship with Beingmate and are now<br />

looking at <strong>op</strong>tions to reduce our financial<br />

stake in this company.”<br />

Fonterra also exited its Venezuela<br />

businesses, is closing its Dennington<br />

plant in Australia and is reviewing DPA<br />

Brazil and two of our farm-hubs in China.<br />

“This sort of discipline around<br />

reviewing our asset portfolio isn’t a oneoff.<br />

We need to be continuously reviewing<br />

our assets and making sure they are<br />

meeting the changing needs of our<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>,” said Mr Hurrell.<br />

“We also set ourselves a target to reduce<br />

capital expenditure by $200m (£102m)<br />

in FY19 and we achieved $261m (£133m).<br />

We reduced our <strong>op</strong>erating expenses by<br />

$185m, year on year.”<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 21


MEET...<br />

Meet … Michael Gidney,<br />

CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation<br />

As the UK-based Fairtrade Foundation celebrates 25 years of the Fairtrade Mark,<br />

we speak with CEO Michael Gidney about what the future looks like – and how<br />

Fairtrade can weather the changes being seen across the grocery sector.<br />

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN FAIRTRADE?<br />

Around the time Fairtrade launched in the UK,<br />

I was living and working as a teacher in Kenya and<br />

I saw at first hand the enterprise, creativity and<br />

dynamism in local markets which was a million<br />

miles away from the way Africa was described in<br />

the British media. Certainly aid played a vital role<br />

– as it still does today – but there was so much<br />

untapped potential to fight poverty through trade.<br />

I’ve been working in international devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

ever since, with roles at VSO and others, often with<br />

a focus on small-scale enterprise devel<strong>op</strong>ment.<br />

I joined Traidcraft in 2001 – they’re a founding<br />

pioneer of the movement and among the first to sell<br />

Fairtrade products. I’ve been CEO at the Fairtrade<br />

Foundation since 2012.<br />

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST IMPACTS<br />

OF FAIRTRADE?<br />

Fairtrade is a movement, bringing millions<br />

of pe<strong>op</strong>le in the UK closer to the millions of men<br />

and women in devel<strong>op</strong>ing countries who grow and<br />

make the things we buy. That movement has created<br />

a revolution in the way food is traded – consumers<br />

have shown they really care about provenance,<br />

about where products come from and who made<br />

them. And smart companies have responded.<br />

We have gone from just four Fairtrade products to<br />

5,000, but that would not have happened without<br />

sustained campaigning from the public and<br />

I am incredibly proud of all that our supporters<br />

have achieved.<br />

Pe<strong>op</strong>le across the UK have really taken Fairtrade<br />

to their hearts, perhaps because fairness is a value<br />

that resonates with British identity – most pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

wholeheartedly agree with the concepts of a ‘fair<br />

price’ and a ‘fair wage’ for those who produce<br />

No one wants their<br />

coffee to come at the<br />

price of exploitation<br />

our food. This is all the more important when the<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le behind our food, clothes, jewellery and<br />

other goods remain exploited by trade. Fairtrade’s<br />

response to that is to rebalance power and price:<br />

through Fairtrade farmers and workers get a better<br />

deal and have more power over their trade. This<br />

helps ensure they are better equipped to tackle<br />

the immense challenges they face – they are<br />

more likely to be able to have enough food year<br />

round, to have a better income, to be organised<br />

and to have a voice. Every Fairtrade purchase<br />

matters, not only because it delivers real impact for<br />

producers, but also it sends a signal to business,<br />

to government and society that the pe<strong>op</strong>le behind<br />

our goods matter.<br />

WHAT IS THE CO-OPERATIVE CONNECTION?<br />

Fairtrade is all about co-<strong>op</strong>eration. Around the<br />

world there are approximately 1,600 certified<br />

Fairtrade producer organisations – the majority of<br />

which are co-<strong>op</strong>eratives, with membership ranging<br />

in size from a couple of hundred to upwards of<br />

100,000. Together with a smaller number of workers<br />

on plantations, there are now 1.6 million producers<br />

involved in Fairtrade across Latin America, Africa<br />

and Asia.<br />

A cornerstone of the co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement<br />

is the partnership between producers and<br />

consumers and this is also a founding principle of<br />

Fairtrade. In the UK, members of co-<strong>op</strong>eratives are<br />

among Fairtrade’s strongest supporters, actively<br />

campaigning for trade justice and regularly<br />

tabling motions at their AGMs for more Fairtrade<br />

products to be available in stores. This has created<br />

a mandate on which organisations such as the<br />

22 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group have acted with real leadership.<br />

The Group was the first UK retailer to source all<br />

cocoa on Fairtrade terms, and last year saw the<br />

launch of their 100% commitment to Fairtrade<br />

African roses, making them the largest retailer<br />

of Fairtrade flowers in the UK. And in celebration<br />

of Fairtrade’s 25th anniversary they produced a TV<br />

ad promoting their range of Fairtrade wines.<br />

FAIRTRADE IS NO LONGER THE ONLY ETHICAL<br />

MARK AROUND - HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO<br />

OTHERS?<br />

The ‘ethical market place’ is becoming more<br />

crowded, so it’s more important than ever that<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le understand that not all certifications are the<br />

same. Fairtrade is by far the best-known and most<br />

trusted ethical trading scheme, partly because of<br />

our independence (we were established by NGOs<br />

and aid agencies including Oxfam, Christian Aid<br />

and the Women’s Institute). Fairtrade has always<br />

been squarely focused on social justice: it is the<br />

only certification scheme that guarantees better<br />

terms of trade for producers, through the safety net<br />

of a minimum price plus an additional premium.<br />

That safety net is as important now as it has ever<br />

been and coffee is a case in point.<br />

The world commodity price for coffee has<br />

plummeted to less than $1 per pound – nowhere<br />

close to covering a farmer’s costs. It’s a scandal,<br />

particularly when consumers are being asked<br />

to pay more than ever. Fortunately, those coffee<br />

farmers able to sell to the Fairtrade market receive<br />

more: farmers earn a minimum price of $1.40 per<br />

pound, together with an additional Fairtrade<br />

Premium of 20 cents per pound which goes to their<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> for investment in shared priorities, such as<br />

climate change adaptation and mitigation. It is<br />

important that coffee lovers choose their coffee<br />

with care. No one wants their coffee to come at<br />

the price of exploitation.<br />

The coffee crisis shows how much further the<br />

world needs to go to make trade fair. Even though<br />

Fairtrade certification remains absolutely vital<br />

in helping protect producers from the vagaries<br />

of the ‘free’ market, we are also working with<br />

farmers on the ground to deliver innovative new<br />

programmes to drive yet more impact. And the<br />

Fairtrade campaign goes from strength to strength,<br />

with a clear call to government to step up its role<br />

in shaping trade that works for pe<strong>op</strong>le and planet.<br />

Voluntarism can achieve a great deal but we also<br />

need smart regulation. This is why we also work<br />

hard on a range of public policy areas, from reform<br />

of <strong>Co</strong>mpetition Law, to government support for<br />

Living Incomes and our support for Human Rights<br />

Due Diligence (HRDD).<br />

HOW CAN FAIRTRADE MAINTAIN ITS VISIBILITY?<br />

AND WHAT DO THE NEXT 25 YEARS HOLD?<br />

Our latest analysis, conducted by GlobeScan,<br />

shows Fairtrade is the most visible ethical label<br />

in the UK; recognised by nine out of 10 sh<strong>op</strong>pers<br />

and trusted by 84% of pe<strong>op</strong>le. And nearly one third<br />

of the p<strong>op</strong>ulation say they would actively choose<br />

Fairtrade when given the choice. What farmers and<br />

workers need most is to sell more of their goods as<br />

Fairtrade so they can benefit from the better deal<br />

they can get, so of course we do need to maintain<br />

this visibility, to keep encouraging consumers to<br />

buy and businesses to source from them.<br />

It’s reasonable to expect some change over time<br />

in the range of companies supporting Fairtrade.<br />

The good news is that more companies are<br />

increasing their Fairtrade commitments each year:<br />

Waitrose & Partners has now joined the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> in<br />

sourcing 100% Fairtrade cocoa for its own-brand<br />

confectionery. The John Lewis Partnership is also<br />

extending their coffee and cocoa ranges and other<br />

recent commitments include Honest <strong>Co</strong>ffee and<br />

a range of cotton T-shirts in White Stuff. We are<br />

proud of our achievements globally but less than<br />

10% of the world’s cocoa for example is Fairtrade<br />

certified, so of course my h<strong>op</strong>e is that Fairtrade<br />

becomes even more part of the norm over the next<br />

25 years.<br />

The pe<strong>op</strong>le behind goods such as tea, cocoa<br />

and bananas, worth £34bn to the UK economy,<br />

continue to suffer poor living conditions and an<br />

increasingly uncertain future. Poverty is at the<br />

JOIN THE<br />

PARTY!<br />

It’s time to get crafty with some fun bunting you can make at home!<br />

Print out the page, cut out each triangle (you might need an adult to help you), punch a hole<br />

in the t<strong>op</strong> corners and thread through some string. You’re ready to party!<br />

JOIN THE<br />

PARTY!<br />

heart of many of the problems in global trade and<br />

we will not achieve sustainability unless charities,<br />

industry and governments in the global north<br />

and south come together. At Fairtrade we are<br />

totally committed to doing our bit to meet the<br />

targets of the <strong>Sustainable</strong> Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Goals by<br />

2030 – we are as ambitious now as we were when<br />

we first began. The key to so many problems starts<br />

with tackling poverty and exploitation. Fairtrade<br />

is a proven and valuable means through which<br />

this can be achieved. And remember, to quote<br />

Nelson Mandela, ‘it always seems impossible<br />

until it is done’.<br />

JOIN THE<br />

PARTY!<br />

It’s time to get crafty with some fun bunting you can make at home!<br />

Print out the page, cut out each triangle (you might need an adult to help you), punch a hole<br />

in the t<strong>op</strong> corners and thread through some string. You’re ready to party!<br />

JOIN THE<br />

PARTY<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 23


YOUR VIEWS<br />

FAIRTRADE FESTIVITIES?<br />

I wonder if co-<strong>op</strong>eratives have plans for<br />

celebrating 25 years of the Fairtrade Mark?<br />

There are planned celebrations in local<br />

groups in <strong>October</strong>.<br />

Jane Walby<br />

via email<br />

LEGAL LICENSES<br />

Just about everyone except the Home<br />

Office agrees that this policy is ridiculous<br />

but the explanation of what has happened<br />

to Hempen [CBD oil-farming co-<strong>op</strong> fears<br />

£2.4m loss <strong>News</strong> website, July <strong>2019</strong>] is<br />

extremely misleading.<br />

Prohibition of use of the flowers and<br />

leaves has been written into section 37(1)<br />

of the Misuse of Drugs Act since 1971!<br />

Why is Hempen behaving as if it is news<br />

48 years later? Nothing has changed in<br />

Home Office policy. This is simply a licence<br />

holder breaking the terms of their licence.<br />

It is well established and published<br />

policy for many years that a low THC<br />

industrial hemp licence will not allow<br />

extraction of cannabinoids.<br />

A licence for such an application is<br />

much more difficult to get and much more<br />

expensive. You will need to apply for it on<br />

the same basis as any other controlled<br />

drugs licence and not using the ‘off the<br />

shelf’ low THC industrial hemp application.<br />

Peter Reynolds<br />

via email<br />

RE: GENERATION SHARE – THE CHANGE<br />

MAKERS BUILDING THE SHARING ECONOMY<br />

A fantastic and inspiring book that allies<br />

very well an effective message with<br />

compelling images across the world.<br />

Generation Share brings global citizens<br />

a step closer to embracing this new<br />

phenomenon – which many call the sharing<br />

economy, and which has been widely<br />

perceived as being a Radial Category.<br />

Have your say<br />

Add your comments to our stories<br />

online at thenews.co<strong>op</strong>, get in touch<br />

via social media, or send us a letter.<br />

If sending a letter, please include<br />

your address and contact number.<br />

Letters may be edited and no longer<br />

than 350 words.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>News</strong>, Holyoake<br />

House, Hanover Street,<br />

Manchester M60 0AS<br />

letters@thenews.co<strong>op</strong><br />

@co<strong>op</strong>news<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>News</strong><br />

João Miguel Oliveira <strong>Co</strong>trim<br />

via website<br />

The way we look is changing.<br />

But what we stand for is staying the same.<br />

We deliver vegetarian, natural and<br />

responsibly-sourced products to businesses<br />

and communities across the UK, and worldwide.<br />

And as a worker-owned, equal pay co-<strong>op</strong>, we’ve<br />

been doing it differently for more than 40 years.<br />

We are Suma.<br />

24 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Party: a political<br />

manifestation of radical roots<br />

As part of a regular monthly feature throughout the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>llege’s centenary year, archivist S<strong>op</strong>hie<br />

McCulloch explores interesting items from the past. This month she looks at some of the early records and<br />

marketing materials of the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Party – which demonstrate why it was set up in the first place...<br />

Looking at the objectives of the Rochdale Pioneers,<br />

as set out in 1844, it may seem unusual that the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement eventually branched out<br />

into politics. One of their principles was to have<br />

political (and religious) neutrality as they wanted<br />

anyone to be able to join their society regardless<br />

of their political or religious beliefs. However,<br />

in later years, and as a reaction to the changing<br />

political climates, co-<strong>op</strong>erators began to re-think<br />

this notion.<br />

In 1881, the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Union (now<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK) formed a parliamentary<br />

committee. This was in response to increasing<br />

government intervention in economic affairs which<br />

was affecting the radically growing co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

movement. Its role was to act as a watchdog on any<br />

legislation which might affect the co-<strong>op</strong> movement.<br />

From its establishment in 1883, the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Women’s Guild was involved in numerous<br />

political campaigns.<br />

The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Party itself was established<br />

in 1917. A resolution was passed at the<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>ngress of that year, the aim of<br />

which was to seek direct parliamentary and local<br />

government representation. The context of this<br />

was that co-<strong>op</strong>erators felt they had been harshly<br />

treated throughout the First World War. This<br />

meant that despite the movement’s commitment<br />

to political neutrality, it was felt necessary<br />

that there was representation in Parliament.<br />

The first <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative MP was Alfred Waterson<br />

in Kettering.<br />

An important landmark in the Party’s<br />

history was the 1927 Cheltenham Agreement.<br />

Made with the Labour Party, this was a formal<br />

recognition of the relationship between the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement and the Labour Party.<br />

By the time of the outbreak of the Second World<br />

War, the Party had nine MPs and many<br />

representations on local administrative bodies.<br />

In comparison to the First World War, with the<br />

outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 the<br />

movement had much greater representation in<br />

Parliament and could, therefore, have its voice<br />

heard in the debates on food supplies.<br />

As the 20th century progressed, the co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

movement took an active role in politics and<br />

political campaigns such as the anti-Apartheid<br />

protests in the 1960s, when some co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

societies refused to sell goods from South Africa.<br />

After a dip in membership and representation in<br />

the 1980s, the Party saw a resurgence of interest<br />

in the 1990s when the movement as a whole<br />

re-discovered its ethical and radical roots.<br />

Today, the Party continues to be active in many<br />

environmental and social campaigns.<br />

The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Heritage Trust Archive<br />

holds the records of the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Party,<br />

with the catalogue accessible online through<br />

the Archive Hub: s.co<strong>op</strong>/23rdl<br />

S<strong>op</strong>hie McCulloch<br />

Archivist at the National<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Archive<br />

More information<br />

about the <strong>Co</strong>llege and<br />

how you can get involved<br />

in its centenary year is<br />

available at:<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>.ac.uk/centenary<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 25


<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>llege<br />

centenary conference<br />

The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>llege’s centenary conference is<br />

the highlight of its 100th year. It is taking place in<br />

Rochdale, the birthplace of modern co-<strong>op</strong>eration,<br />

with a three day programme looking at what<br />

makes co-<strong>op</strong>erative education unique – and how<br />

it can offer radical solutions to some of society’s<br />

biggest problems.<br />

Each of the three days will cover a different<br />

theme. The first, <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eration for a New Generation,<br />

dedicates a day to tackling the issues that most affect<br />

young pe<strong>op</strong>le, and includes worksh<strong>op</strong>s focused<br />

on youth social action and what life is like in a<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative school. There will also be plenary<br />

sessions on the future of work.<br />

Day two, <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Education Across the<br />

World, takes an international outlook with speakers<br />

including Ariel Guarco (president of International<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Alliance), Dame Pauline Green (former<br />

president of the ICA) and Angela Rayner MP (shadow<br />

secretary of state for education) examining what<br />

solutions co-<strong>op</strong>erative education can provide to some<br />

of the biggest challenges facing society.<br />

The third day looks to the future, with worksh<strong>op</strong>s<br />

on how to build a co-<strong>op</strong>erative economy, the progress<br />

made on bringing a <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative University to life,<br />

and the unique relationship between co-<strong>op</strong>s and<br />

unions. There will be keynote addresses from Bruno<br />

Roelants (director general of the ICA) and Julie Ward<br />

MEP, plus the unveiling of the <strong>Co</strong>llege’s new fiveyear<br />

strategy.<br />

Other speakers include: Professor Esther Gicheru<br />

(<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> University of Kenya); Dr Sonia Novkovic,<br />

(professor, St Mary’s University, Canada); and Andy<br />

Burnham (mayor of Greater Manchester). The event<br />

also includes an inaugural gala dinner and awards<br />

ceremony celebrating the <strong>Co</strong>llege’s history.<br />

“We can’t wait to welcome delegates from<br />

across the world to our centenary conference, the<br />

flagship event of our centenary year,” said Simon<br />

Parkinson, chief executive and principal of the<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>llege.<br />

“As we approach the 175th anniversary of the<br />

Rochdale Pioneers and the birth of the modern<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement in the UK, we are delighted to<br />

be holding this prestigious event in Rochdale.<br />

“The challenges we’re facing today are no less<br />

profound than those faced by those original 28<br />

pioneers and history teaches us that through working<br />

together, co-<strong>op</strong>erative education can act as a catalyst<br />

towards building a fairer world.”<br />

The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

<strong>Co</strong>llege’s centenary<br />

conference<br />

Dates:<br />

Tuesday 26 – Thursday<br />

28 November <strong>2019</strong><br />

Location:<br />

Rochdale Town Hall<br />

More info:<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>.ac.uk/<br />

centenaryconference<br />

EDUCATION<br />

TO CHANGE<br />

THE WORLD<br />

26 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


Practitioners Forum <strong>2019</strong><br />

The Practitioners Forum, organised by <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives<br />

UK, is a day of learning sessions for pe<strong>op</strong>le <strong>op</strong>erating<br />

in key roles in co-<strong>op</strong>erative businesses large and<br />

small. There are five strands (communications;<br />

finance; governance; HR; and membership), with four<br />

sessions in each. Delegates can pick and mix sessions<br />

across the strands, which are led by experts from<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>eratives and companies who have experience<br />

and insight to share.<br />

One such expert is Maria Borstnar, a behavioural<br />

insight trainer and consultant who helps businesses<br />

devel<strong>op</strong> “behaviourally informed campaigns and<br />

pr<strong>op</strong>ositions that are user-friendly and easy to<br />

engage with”. She is the founder of Nudge2Engage,<br />

which aims to help organisations benefit from<br />

behavioural insight, and will be leading a session in<br />

the Membership strand.<br />

“The ‘Nudge’ approach is based on Nobel prizewinning<br />

research,” she says. “Rather than just<br />

focusing on rationality, it takes into account our<br />

emotions, cognitive biases, mental shortcuts and<br />

environmental factors that impact on how we<br />

realistically make decisions – in our own lives and<br />

at work.<br />

“If you are unaware of factors influencing<br />

your customers’ decision-making, you may be<br />

(unknowingly) investing in inefficient marketing<br />

strategies, and devel<strong>op</strong>ing services that are not<br />

user-friendly.”<br />

Also presenting is Chris Sands, founder of Totally<br />

Locally – a grassroots campaign to bring struggling<br />

high streets back to life. Totally Locally is built around<br />

a message that £5 can make a difference.<br />

“It started with the idea that if every adult in<br />

Calderdale spent £5 per week in their local sh<strong>op</strong>s and<br />

businesses instead of online, at the supermarket or<br />

with huge multinationals, it would be worth £20m<br />

going directly back into the local economy,” says<br />

Chris. “That’s a huge amount of money with massive<br />

benefits to the area, for just a tiny bit of effort from<br />

each person who lives there.”<br />

The campaign focuses on collaboration,<br />

encouraging business owners, traders and producers<br />

to work together to create vibrant and sustainable<br />

high streets. A free toolkit means there are now Totally<br />

Locally campaigns taking place in towns across the<br />

world – and a big part of this is #FiverFest, where<br />

towns and high streets taking part put on special £5<br />

offers over one week, to show the diversity and value<br />

of what they sell. The next is 5-12 <strong>October</strong> <strong>2019</strong>.<br />

Other speakers include James Roberts from<br />

the MemberWise Network, who will look at the<br />

importance of understanding member value; Josh<br />

Wheeler from Good Broadcast UK, who will offer<br />

advice on how to generate broadcast media coverage;<br />

and Mel Harris from Sparklab Productions, a podcast<br />

production company.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>lleague wellbeing is a theme for the HR strand,<br />

with Sharon Pegg giving an introduction to employee<br />

wellbeing, Lincolnshire <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> leading a session on<br />

promoting colleague wellbeing and the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group<br />

following with a look at how to use what you already<br />

know to shape a wellbeing programme.<br />

The Finance strand will hear about tax updates<br />

from KPMG, which is also presenting a view on the<br />

UK’s economic outlook. And Diana Finch will share<br />

her experience of the Bristol Pound CIC.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK’s Linda Barlow and <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong><br />

Culture’s Dr Mark Simmonds will talk delegates<br />

through the nuts and bolts of sociocracy in the<br />

Governance strand, exploring how co-<strong>op</strong>s are using<br />

this set of tools and principles that ensure shared<br />

power. Participants can also choose sessions on<br />

the importance of member inductions, engaging<br />

employees and involving member bodies and<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative governance.<br />

Practitioners<br />

Forum <strong>2019</strong><br />

Dates:<br />

Thursday 7 November<br />

Location:<br />

The Studio,<br />

Manchester, UK<br />

More info:<br />

uk.co<strong>op</strong>/PF<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 27


CO-OP PARTY GETS<br />

READY FOR ITS AGM<br />

Focusing on community power and climate change<br />

Registration is <strong>op</strong>en for this year’s <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Party<br />

conference, held in Glasgow from <strong>October</strong> 11-13.<br />

Organisers are expecting hundreds of members<br />

and supporters from across the UK to debate policy<br />

and hear from speakers in the co-<strong>op</strong>erative and<br />

labour movements. They say the event will help<br />

the Party shape its work and campaigns in the<br />

year ahead.<br />

This year’s theme is Building a Fairer Future, with<br />

the Party focusing on “some of the big challenges<br />

our economy and communities face”.<br />

There will be a particular spotlight on climate<br />

change and community, says the Party, with<br />

a showcase for some of the best co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

solutions that can be expanded and supported to<br />

build the fairer future we so desperately need.<br />

Policy debates will be held on the Green New<br />

Deal and community, place and power, and there<br />

will be t<strong>op</strong>ical discussion on mental health and<br />

modern slavery.<br />

Keynote speakers on Saturday 12 <strong>October</strong><br />

include Keir Starmer MP, shadow secretary of<br />

state for exiting the Eur<strong>op</strong>ean Union, and Richard<br />

Leonard MSP, leader of the Scottish Labour<br />

Party. On the Sunday, delegates will hear from<br />

Christina McAnea, assistant general secretary<br />

at Unison.<br />

Before the conference <strong>op</strong>ens, on the Friday, there<br />

will be delegation meet ups for the different Party<br />

regions, a welcome reception in association with<br />

Social Enterprise UK, and a Youth Network social.<br />

Other events on Saturday include fairer future<br />

information worksh<strong>op</strong>s, an LGBT+ network social,<br />

and the conference party, organised with Scotmid<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>, which includes an awards ceremony,<br />

speeches and live band.<br />

The Sunday morning programme <strong>op</strong>ens with<br />

a BAME network breakfast and is followed by the<br />

Party’s AGM and a Women’s Network lunch.<br />

The event comes hot on the heels of the<br />

conference by the Party’s sister organisation, the<br />

Labour Party. In blog, the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Party hailed a<br />

number of co-<strong>op</strong> successes at the conference – with<br />

Labour reaffirming its commitment to doubling the<br />

UK’s co-<strong>op</strong>erative economy and signalling support<br />

for a co-<strong>op</strong>erative university.<br />

The Party also hosted fringe sessions on safety<br />

for sh<strong>op</strong>workers and communities, barriers facing<br />

disabled pe<strong>op</strong>le in self-employment, food justice<br />

and leaseholds.<br />

WRITTEN BY:<br />

Miles Hadfield<br />

28 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


HOW DO WE BUILD<br />

CO-OP PLACES?<br />

CCIN prepares for national conference<br />

The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>uncils Innovation Network<br />

meets in Rochdale on 2 <strong>October</strong> to share its stories of<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le-led local policy making.<br />

This year’s event take the theme of Building<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Places, which will be discussed in<br />

the afternoon plenary. Cllr Sharon Taylor, chair<br />

of the network and leader of Stevenage <strong>Co</strong>uncil,<br />

says this means “pe<strong>op</strong>le in a local area having<br />

more involvement in decision-making about<br />

spacial planning in their area and the services that<br />

are delivered”.<br />

The conference will also feature feedback from the<br />

network’s policy labs, which it has been funding for<br />

INTERVIEW<br />

Cllr Sharon Taylor, chair of the CCIN<br />

HOW DO COUNCILS IN THE NETWORK SELL<br />

THE IDEAS OF THE CCIN TO THEIR PUBLIC?<br />

It’s different in different places. In Preston, the key<br />

driver behind the co-<strong>op</strong> council was unemployment<br />

– so they speak to pe<strong>op</strong>le about how it delivers jobs<br />

and supports local businesses. In my own local<br />

authority, Stevenage, unemployment is lower, so<br />

our driver is to design skills programmes to make<br />

sure that pe<strong>op</strong>le who live here get the qualifications<br />

they need to work.<br />

But we also want to use our local government<br />

spend to support local businesses, keeping that<br />

money in the local economy. We spend around<br />

15% in the Stevenage area, which goes up to<br />

30% if you include the wider area, but that could<br />

be more.<br />

HOW CAN ORGANISATIONS LIKE<br />

CO-OPERATIVE COUNCILS COMMUNICATE<br />

THE IDEA OF CO-OPERATION ITSELF?<br />

As pe<strong>op</strong>le get more sceptical of mainline politics,<br />

they do understand that if you work together you<br />

get better outcomes; the essence of co-<strong>op</strong>eration is<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le working together for common benefit. If a<br />

council works to incorporate pe<strong>op</strong>le into its policy<br />

making, you get better value for money – because<br />

they tell you what they actually need, it’s not just<br />

some decision makers in a room. And getting<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le to contribute to decision making goes right<br />

back to the origins of the co-<strong>op</strong> movement.<br />

the last two years. “With funding tight, it’s very hard<br />

for councils to find the money to research a policy<br />

idea to see if it works,” says Cllr Taylor. “But we are<br />

an innovation network so this is part of our job – so<br />

we are offering member councils funding of up to<br />

£10,000 to research ideas.”<br />

Keynote speeches come from Steve Reed MP,<br />

honorary president of CCIN and shadow minister for<br />

digital, culture, media and sport, and for children<br />

and families; Andrew Wynne MP, shadow secretary<br />

of state for communities and local government;<br />

and Lord Kennedy, shadow spokesperson for<br />

communities, local government and housing.<br />

WHAT SHOULD DELEGATES LOOK OUT FOR<br />

AT THE CONFERENCE?<br />

There are some great sessions on community wealth<br />

building. And some of our newer members will be<br />

coming up – for instance, Tameside <strong>Co</strong>uncil, which<br />

has done work on social care. They’d had a difficult<br />

regulator’s report, and in response devel<strong>op</strong>ed some<br />

much more pe<strong>op</strong>le-based services.<br />

HOW IS THE CO-OP COUNCIL MOVEMENT<br />

PROGRESSING?<br />

Our great strength is the variety of things going on<br />

in the network – there aren’t any of the challenges<br />

we’re facing that don’t have a co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

solution. For instance, we’re taking on climate<br />

change, with councils like Oxford devel<strong>op</strong>ing real<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative approaches; and also the economy,<br />

with Plymouth committed to doubling the size of its<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> economy.<br />

Our other strength is that we don’t set a formulaic<br />

approach – we want to see our councils innovate<br />

in real time for their own p<strong>op</strong>ulation, and to share<br />

with the rest of us what they find out as they do it.<br />

The conference is a great chance to find out what<br />

everyone is doing, on issues such as housing,<br />

domestic abuse and food.<br />

We’ve been very pleased with the devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

of the network – it’s grown hugely; we now have 28<br />

full council members and a huge range of affiliate<br />

members. The Greater Manchester <strong>Co</strong>mbined<br />

Authority is an affiliate member, and Andy Burnham<br />

was our first metro mayor to become a member;<br />

we now also have Marvin Rees from Bristol.<br />

Cllr Sharon Taylor,<br />

chair of the CCIN<br />

Politics section _ <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Party and CCIN <strong>Co</strong>nference<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 29


DELIVERING<br />

DEVELOPMENT<br />

What has the Preston model achieved so far?<br />

WRITTEN BY:<br />

Miles Hadfield<br />

The Preston model of community wealth building<br />

has prompted widespread interest in and outside<br />

the co-<strong>op</strong> movement, with its use of local spending<br />

and pe<strong>op</strong>le-led employment models to lift the<br />

local economy.<br />

The model was devel<strong>op</strong>ed by Preston City <strong>Co</strong>uncil<br />

and the Centre for Local Economic Strategies<br />

(CLES), working with local anchor institutions to<br />

play a collective role in delivering better outcomes<br />

for workers and service users. The model drew<br />

inspiration from the work of the US Democracy<br />

<strong>Co</strong>llaborative in Cleveland, Ohio.<br />

But, six years on from the start of the project,<br />

what results has the Preston model had?<br />

An analysis of anchor institution spend – from<br />

organisations such as the University of Central<br />

Lancashire (UCLan), and the city’s police force and<br />

hospitals – found the procurement spend retained<br />

within Preston was £112.3m, a rise of £74m from<br />

2012/3. Taking in the wider Lancashire economy,<br />

the retained spend is £448.7m, up £200m.<br />

After researching local businesses, the council<br />

found there was a lack of local suppliers to provide<br />

certain services, and worked with UCLan to<br />

encourage worker-led businesses to fill the gap.<br />

Between them, they set up the Guild <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Network and Preston <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

Network, which helped to devel<strong>op</strong> worker co-<strong>op</strong>s in<br />

the catering, tech and digital sectors.<br />

Individual anchor institutions have taken their<br />

own steps to drive inclusive devel<strong>op</strong>ment. The city<br />

“ To support pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

locally, we have got<br />

to change the current<br />

economic model – and<br />

to do that we have to<br />

establish alternatives<br />

and make them<br />

p<strong>op</strong>ular with the<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le who live here”<br />

council pays all staff at or above the Living Wage,<br />

and is pushing for all employers in the city to do<br />

the same. And it helped devel<strong>op</strong> CLEVR Money,<br />

a credit union <strong>op</strong>erating in Preston, Blackpool<br />

and Fylde, with which council workers can make<br />

payroll savings.<br />

Lancashire <strong>Co</strong>nstabulary has also become an<br />

accredited Living Wage employer and is using its<br />

procurement process to drive social value. It has<br />

put social value requirements into its tender and<br />

contract process, is devel<strong>op</strong>ing mechanisms to<br />

monitor the application of social value, and hosts<br />

‘meet the buyer’ events for local suppliers.<br />

30 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


This led to several small and micro local<br />

businesses taking part in the construction and fit<br />

out of the new police station in Blackpool.<br />

The Office of Police and Crime <strong>Co</strong>mmissioner’s<br />

local spend rose from 52% of the total in 2012/13 to<br />

71% in 2017/18.<br />

Preston <strong>Co</strong>llege had already been incorporating<br />

social value into its procurement process, but after<br />

the anchor institution work began, it has focused<br />

on creating employment <strong>op</strong>portunities by bringing<br />

in local suppliers to redevel<strong>op</strong> its premises.<br />

And it works to improve the local economy<br />

and society, delivering English as an additional<br />

language as part of Preston’s City of Sanctuary<br />

status, offering voluntary experience in the local<br />

fire and rescue service and working with local SMEs<br />

to provide employment pathways for students and<br />

community members.<br />

Cardinal Newman Sixth Form <strong>Co</strong>llege<br />

introduced the Living Wage for all its staff in<br />

2014, later extending this to staff working for its<br />

catering contractor.<br />

This process has seen Preston named most<br />

improved city in the UK in Good Growth for Cities<br />

2018. It has moved from 143rd to 130th in the<br />

Social Mobility <strong>Co</strong>mmission Index (out of 324<br />

local authority areas) and has seen 4,000 extra<br />

employees receive the Real Living Wage.<br />

The council has two new worker-owned<br />

businesses, the Larder and Preston Digital<br />

Foundation, and is now working with Liverpool<br />

and Wirral to create a fully licensed North West<br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmunity Bank.<br />

“It is close to securing the £20m in initial funding<br />

which is needed to begin the process of applying<br />

for a banking licence.<br />

“We’re keen to enable the financially excluded<br />

– pe<strong>op</strong>le and businesses who find it difficult to<br />

borrow money – to get access to banking services,”<br />

council leader Matthew Brown told the Lancashire<br />

Evening Post.<br />

“To support pe<strong>op</strong>le locally, we have got to<br />

change the current economic model – and to do<br />

that we have to establish alternatives and make<br />

them p<strong>op</strong>ular with the pe<strong>op</strong>le who live here.”<br />

The plan – would see the bank <strong>op</strong>en high street<br />

branches, with accounts and loans limited to<br />

individuals and businesses in the north west.<br />

Cllr Brown added: “If 2% of pe<strong>op</strong>le move their<br />

accounts to the new bank – or <strong>op</strong>en their first<br />

accounts with us – then we can lend half a billion<br />

pounds to local pe<strong>op</strong>le.<br />

“But if you could get real grassroots uplift and<br />

support for the concept and encourage 10% of<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le to bank with us, then we could recirculate<br />

£4bn locally.”<br />

He said the bank would offer extra resilience<br />

to the region’s economy, insulating it from the<br />

domino effects brought by financial crises like that<br />

of 2008.<br />

Politics section _ Preston Model<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 31


SERVING UP CO-OP IDEAS<br />

ON A BRIGHTON ESTATE<br />

Lessons from the Bevy on reaching communities<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> ideas are moving towards the forefront<br />

of discussion around social and economic<br />

inequality in the UK, with widespread discussion<br />

of the Preston model and co-<strong>op</strong> councils – and the<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Party continuing to push its agenda.<br />

On the ground, there are many examples<br />

of co-<strong>op</strong>eration in working class communities –<br />

from pioneering housing mutuals like Rochdale<br />

Boroughwide Housing to community businesses<br />

such as Kitty’s Launderette in Liverpool.<br />

This is only natural, says worker co-<strong>op</strong> advocate<br />

Siôn Whellens, of Principle Six and Calverts:<br />

“<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives are one of the two main historical<br />

products of working class inter co-<strong>op</strong>eration – the<br />

other being unions.”<br />

He argues that the strategy of the movement<br />

should be to “identify when and where working<br />

class groups are organising to further their interests,<br />

get involved on a solidarity basis, learn what the<br />

problems and potentials are, and when appr<strong>op</strong>riate<br />

offering co-<strong>op</strong>erative organising technology and the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> system as useful additions to the ‘toolbox’.<br />

This is the <strong>op</strong>posite of pr<strong>op</strong>osing co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

as the ‘solution’ to poverty and inequality,<br />

which is the ideology of social enterprise,<br />

charity, David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ and<br />

state-sponsored co-<strong>op</strong>s, says Mr Whellens.<br />

Instead, he believes co-<strong>op</strong>eratives should be<br />

projected as a means of working class mutual aid<br />

and independence.<br />

He gives the example of Kitty’s Launderette:<br />

"This is shaping up to be a success because the<br />

group did careful market research on the working<br />

class demographic of its potential customer base,<br />

and carefully aligned the project with the traditions<br />

of working class self-organising in the city.”<br />

One success story of grassroots co-<strong>op</strong>eration is<br />

the Bevy, a community pub on the Moulsecoomb<br />

and Bevendean estates in Brighton.<br />

General manager Iain Chambers said the<br />

community was engaged using the message that<br />

an important local resource – the sole pub in the<br />

neighbourhood – would be otherwise be lost.<br />

He says it’s important to use this sort of<br />

campaign to win pe<strong>op</strong>le over – “that sense of peril,<br />

of something that will be lost forever. Talking to<br />

the community, it was a sense of, if we don’t have a<br />

pub, we have nowhere to go.”<br />

The best way to organise, he adds, is to put<br />

everyone in a room together to source their<br />

knowledge and make the project inclusive – in the<br />

Bevy’s case, this also meant the minimum buy-in<br />

for community shares was set at £10.<br />

“If you want to raise a large amount, that can be a<br />

disadvantage but on that estate, which has pockets<br />

of extreme low income but also pe<strong>op</strong>le with decent<br />

jobs, it’s important to bring everyone in,” he says.<br />

The large number of members also helped<br />

change the narrative, he adds, “from one of an<br />

antisocial, abandoned, estate pub to one that says,<br />

these pe<strong>op</strong>le are pitching and joining together,<br />

even the skint ones are sticking a tenner in.<br />

“It was a dream. The premises had no bar, no<br />

cellar, no nothing, it had been gutted – these<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le had to buy into a dream.”<br />

Bringing in large numbers of pe<strong>op</strong>le meant “a lot<br />

of door knocking”, he adds. “Pe<strong>op</strong>le were totally<br />

new to idea of community ownership. It took a<br />

lot of meetings to really get that message through<br />

that you can come along and contribute – even if<br />

it’s stuffing envel<strong>op</strong>es, sweeping up, painting some<br />

walls, there’s so much you can do because there’s<br />

so much to be done.<br />

“I say it to any group – to take a community<br />

space, knock on as many doors as possible, meet<br />

as many pe<strong>op</strong>le as possible. There’s a humility<br />

WRITTEN BY:<br />

Miles Hadfield<br />

32 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


“I say it to any<br />

group – to take a<br />

community space,<br />

knock on as many<br />

doors as possible,<br />

meet as many pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

as possible. There’s a<br />

humility involved to<br />

asking pe<strong>op</strong>le rather<br />

than just saying we<br />

know best”<br />

involved to asking pe<strong>op</strong>le rather than just saying<br />

we know best.”<br />

Once the idea gained momentum the local<br />

authority and health department came in. “They<br />

realised it was important for pe<strong>op</strong>le to have<br />

somewhere to meet; loneliness is as dangerous as<br />

alcoholism.<br />

“The local vicar got involved – he is deeply<br />

embedded in community and he gave it<br />

respectability – we held meetings in the church, on<br />

the pews.”<br />

Now, the team is looking to refurbish the pub.<br />

“We’re knocking on doors again; it reminds pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

we’re there, and we can ask if they have anything<br />

to offer. You get a better outcome than if you<br />

just spend money without consulting pe<strong>op</strong>le.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>llaboration brings good ideas.”<br />

In this way, says Mr Chambers, “our spirit of<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>eration is deeply embedded in what we do<br />

– not because pe<strong>op</strong>le believe in the co-<strong>op</strong><br />

movement, but because it’s a natural thing for<br />

neighbours to do when needing a resource.”<br />

That sense of collaboration is spreading across<br />

the estate, he says; for instance, the team from the<br />

Bevy introduced the local school and table tennis<br />

club; as a result, the school now provides the club<br />

with a venue. “It felt like pushing at an <strong>op</strong>en door<br />

because this area is now used to working together.”<br />

He adds: “I h<strong>op</strong>e this will mean that when the<br />

next issue comes up we can say, ‘we can do it’,<br />

rather than have it done to us.<br />

“There’s a sense of planning being done to us,<br />

without us being consulted. The new report from<br />

Oxford <strong>Co</strong>nsultants for Social Inclusion says that<br />

when there are no spaces to gather, you don’t even<br />

have a place to protest about not being helped. We<br />

need to count communal spaces as positives.”<br />

For such ideas solutions to be ad<strong>op</strong>ted by more<br />

communities like Bevendean, the co-<strong>op</strong> movement<br />

needs to work hard on its communication, says Mr<br />

Chambers. “More Than A Pub is well resourced,<br />

they’ve put up some fantastic and inspirational<br />

stories but in areas like this, you need more<br />

examples that look like pe<strong>op</strong>le you know.<br />

“When those stories are represented, you get a<br />

picture of the pe<strong>op</strong>le involved, the area involved,<br />

and more rounded stories.”<br />

He adds: “Working class means a great many<br />

things – it’s not just about deprivation, although<br />

working class pe<strong>op</strong>le can be in difficult places.<br />

You’ve got to show what co-<strong>op</strong>s can do – for<br />

instance in care; care co-<strong>op</strong>s are an amazing<br />

example of what can be achieved; it’s needed,<br />

it works, it’s what pe<strong>op</strong>le can understand.”<br />

It’s also important to stress that there’s no real<br />

risk. “You’re putting in sweat and commitment<br />

but you’re not going to lose your house if things<br />

go wrong. There’s a feeling that ‘it’s not for me’ so<br />

you need to show that pe<strong>op</strong>le can do it, in a very<br />

ordinary way. I’d love to see co-<strong>op</strong> hairdressers, dogwalking<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s – you can give yourselves jobs that<br />

way; you’re not going to make yourselves rich but<br />

you will keep things going.”<br />

But, he warns, there is a danger in telling too<br />

positive a story. “We’re very <strong>op</strong>en about how hard<br />

it is. It’s important, ethically, to be honest; and it<br />

makes pe<strong>op</strong>le get ready and robust.<br />

“I’ve seen pe<strong>op</strong>le with poor health dr<strong>op</strong> out or<br />

become ill from the graft of setting up a project like<br />

this and it concerns me that pe<strong>op</strong>le aren’t given the<br />

full picture. Working class pe<strong>op</strong>le aren’t stupid,<br />

they can see through things that are happy clappy.”<br />

He says the lack of secondary co-<strong>op</strong>s to support<br />

the movement is a key obstacle. “It’s too difficult<br />

on your own; you need someone to ask advice.<br />

We were tired from setting up the Bevy and we then<br />

we found we had to work out how to run it.<br />

“Running a community pub is not the same as<br />

running a normal one – you can’t say ‘my gaff my<br />

rules’, it doesn’t work. And barring someone from<br />

the only pub in the area is a big deal.<br />

“But it’s also important that nothing happens<br />

that might close us down – there are pe<strong>op</strong>le at risk<br />

of isolation, such as elderly pe<strong>op</strong>le with dementia,<br />

who would have nowhere else to go.”<br />

Despite the difficulties, there is a power in<br />

the Bevy’s co-<strong>op</strong> nature, he says. “We own the<br />

building, we are allowed to do things in it – that<br />

is very powerful. Pe<strong>op</strong>le realise they can piggyback<br />

on our trust – local councillors and our MP have<br />

their surgeries at the Bevy. It reflects well on them.”<br />

Politics section _ The Bevy Pub<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 33


SOCIAL<br />

BUSINESS:<br />

Safeguarding the future of Wales?<br />

Wales is home to 2,022 social businesses, which<br />

together employ 55,000 pe<strong>op</strong>le and are worth<br />

£3.18bn. These pe<strong>op</strong>le-centred businesses are going<br />

to be integral to the future of Wales, delegates were<br />

told at the <strong>2019</strong> Social Business Wales conference,<br />

held in Llandudno on 25 September.<br />

“The UK is entering its most challenging<br />

period in decades,” said Jennifer Jones, BBC<br />

presenter and host of the event. “There are new<br />

pressures on businesses and communities in<br />

Wales. But the social business sector is one of the<br />

most resilient.”<br />

Social Businesses Wales (SBW) is a project<br />

providing intensive one-to-one support to social<br />

businesses which are looking to expand or create<br />

jobs. It is funded by the Eur<strong>op</strong>ean Regional<br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Fund and the Welsh government and<br />

is being delivered by the Wales <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Centre.<br />

Speaking at the conference, SBW enterprise<br />

director, Glenn Bowen, said social businesses can<br />

have the most impact in communities left behind<br />

by post-industrialisation, austerity and poverty.<br />

“The history books of the future are being written<br />

on a daily basis,” he said. “None of us will know<br />

where this mad rollercoaster of Brexit will end …<br />

But pe<strong>op</strong>le living in post-industrial communities<br />

where well-paid jobs were close to home now have<br />

to commute further, leaving economically inactive,<br />

vulnerable pe<strong>op</strong>le alone and isolated, especially in<br />

rural areas. We can’t rely on the jobs we used to rely<br />

on. These communities are struggling for a future.”<br />

Social businesses have a critical role to play<br />

here, he said, in creating services and well paid<br />

jobs within communities.<br />

Mr Bowen added: “Every community needs an<br />

economic anchor to exist. For some that will be<br />

a hospital or a university. For others it will be a<br />

private firm established for generations – although<br />

wouldn’t it be great if more of these firms ended<br />

up in the hands of employees? But for many areas<br />

there are no economic anchor institutions. That’s<br />

where the social business sector comes in. We<br />

know we can create jobs. We have immense power<br />

within this movement to make a difference.”<br />

But, he said, it’s not just about jobs, it’s about<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le: “Social businesses are pe<strong>op</strong>le businesses.<br />

We work with pe<strong>op</strong>le in communities, we help<br />

them highlight the problems they face and<br />

help them find their own solutions.”<br />

And he thinks the future is exciting. “The policy<br />

agenda is moving into our space for the first<br />

time. The traditional economic model is looking<br />

to do things differently and we can do that. As<br />

a movement we are coming together. And we<br />

have new services: The Social Business Wales<br />

New Start initiative is a £3m project supported by<br />

the EU that is aiming to create 200 businesses in<br />

Wales over the next three years; and the Wales<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Centre and Creating Enterprise<br />

are launching the Social Enterprise Academy<br />

in Wales, which will provide innovative<br />

learning and devel<strong>op</strong>ment programmes for<br />

leaders of companies, social enterprises and<br />

public bodies.”<br />

But for all of this to make a difference the dots<br />

need joining up. In a video address, Lee Waters,<br />

deputy minister for economy and transport,<br />

stressed the need for a “candid conversation about<br />

what we need to do next”.<br />

“We are entering extremely difficult times … the<br />

message of mutual help, solidarity and working<br />

with communities to st<strong>op</strong> money leaking out<br />

will be crucial,” he said. “We need to focus on<br />

changing the way these patterns of the economy<br />

work and mainstream the principles of local wealth<br />

building. And we absolutely must urgently address<br />

the way our economy works. Because it’s not<br />

working now.”<br />

WRITTEN BY:<br />

Rebecca Harvey<br />

34 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


One way this is being addressed is through the<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment of a new social business roadmap.<br />

“We haven’t had a strategy for our sector for 10<br />

years,” said Derek Walker, chief executive of the<br />

Wales <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Centre. “It is clear that we need<br />

one. We won’t realise the potential of the sector if<br />

we don’t put in place a vision for its future.”<br />

He acknowledged there had been a lack of<br />

co-ordination among the agencies that support<br />

social businesses in Wales and highlighted how<br />

feedback from the strategy consultation stressed<br />

the need for better collaboration.<br />

“Now we’re taking charge of our own future,” he<br />

told delegates. “We’re responsible for making that<br />

happen. This is our journey.”<br />

Delegates also heard from ultra marathon runner<br />

Lowri Morgan and author Sam <strong>Co</strong>nniff Allende, who<br />

looked at how to approach different challenges,<br />

and took part in a series of masterclasses that<br />

offered inspiration, ideas and practical skills.<br />

“I want to challenge the perception that it’s<br />

only awesome pe<strong>op</strong>le who do awesome things,”<br />

said Lowri Morgan. “It’s actually the ordinary<br />

folk that do the most remarkable of things.” She is<br />

one of six pe<strong>op</strong>le to have completed the Amazon<br />

Ultra Marathon and has also finished the 350-mile<br />

6633 Ultra in the Arctic. Achievements like this are<br />

in part about not giving up, she said, but it’s also<br />

about addressing the fear that we won’t achieve our<br />

goals. “I am somebody who doesn’t have that much<br />

confidence or the biggest belief in themselves, but<br />

I don’t want to be rubbish at life and fail at making<br />

the most of the <strong>op</strong>portunities I have.”<br />

Sam <strong>Co</strong>nniff Allende, author of Be More Pirate,<br />

has the firm belief that the biggest mistake we<br />

can make is to believe the way things are is the<br />

way things have to be. “The 20th century has<br />

no shortage of rules that need to be broken,” he<br />

said. “It’s time to rewrite some of these rules.”<br />

He believes pirates are some of the original<br />

pioneers, through their s<strong>op</strong>histicated ways of<br />

organising equally and democratically, with their<br />

own written code of governance. “There’s even a<br />

genealogical link between co-<strong>op</strong>eratives and the<br />

pirates,” he said. “There are seven co-<strong>op</strong> principles;<br />

six of them appear in the pirate code.”<br />

Jessica Morgan (aka Jessica Draws) spoke about<br />

the power of telling stories and being authentic<br />

in all interactions. “Telling stories matters,” she<br />

said. “Starting conversations about things that<br />

matter to you – and showcasing your process as<br />

well as the end product – will help to build genuine<br />

relationships between pe<strong>op</strong>le. There is a big<br />

difference between being professional and being<br />

corporate; being your actual self will help your<br />

passion come through.”<br />

Marcus Fair from Eternal Media spoke about his<br />

journey from the depths of addiction to founding<br />

an award-winning film company which makes<br />

“Hollywood-quality productions on a Holyhead<br />

budget.” The business now employs other former<br />

addicts and <strong>op</strong>erates out of a nuclear bunker in<br />

Wrexham. “It keeps me clean every single day and<br />

has done for five years. I now see it doing the same for<br />

others – not just addicts, but hundreds of pe<strong>op</strong>le –<br />

working through their own myriad of issues [...]<br />

We are saving lives on a daily basis.”<br />

The conference also celebrated the winners of<br />

the Social Business Wales Awards, presented the<br />

previous evening. Aura Leisure was named Welsh<br />

Social Enterprise of the Year, with other winners<br />

including <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Impact Initiative, Down<br />

to Earth, Fern Partnership, Awel Aman Tawe and<br />

Innovate Trust.<br />

T<strong>op</strong>: Lowri Morgan<br />

Below: Sam <strong>Co</strong>nniff<br />

Allende (Credit: Keith<br />

Freeburn)<br />

Facing: Aura Leisure<br />

was named Welsh<br />

Social Enterprise<br />

of the Year (Credit:<br />

Eye Imagery)<br />

Politics section _ Social Business Wales<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 35


THE COLLAPSE<br />

OF THOMAS COOK<br />

Retail co-<strong>op</strong>s say their own travel businesses are secure<br />

More than 150,000 holiday makers had to be<br />

repatriated following the collapse of travel agents<br />

Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok. The business failure could lead to<br />

the loss of the firm’s 21,000 employees’ jobs – 9,000<br />

of these in the UK – unless the administrators can<br />

sell at least part of the business as a going concern.<br />

While some of those staff are cabin crew and pilots,<br />

a much larger pr<strong>op</strong>ortion work in retail outlets.<br />

And thousands of those are likely to be former<br />

employees of the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Group.<br />

The Group entered into a joint venture with<br />

Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok and the Midlands <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> back in<br />

2011 – called Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel –<br />

to merge the three high street <strong>op</strong>erations. The<br />

arrangement was intended to reduce <strong>op</strong>erating<br />

costs across the three businesses by £35m a year.<br />

Under the terms of the joint venture, Thomas<br />

<strong>Co</strong>ok owned 66.5% of the merged business,<br />

the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group owned 30% and the Midlands<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> (which subsequently became Central<br />

England <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>) held 3.5%. The joint venture had<br />

9,000 staff and 1,200 branches, of which 400 had<br />

been <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Travel outlets owned by the Group.<br />

Hundreds of jobs were lost through the merger.<br />

A ‘push’ provision in the deal meant the Group<br />

could require Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok to buy out its share<br />

of the merged business after five years. This was<br />

triggered three years ago, leading to Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok<br />

paying the Group £50m in instalments – which<br />

have all been paid. Central England received £5.8m<br />

for its stake. Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok had two years to wind<br />

down the use of the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Travel branding.<br />

Rod Bulmer, the then chief executive of<br />

consumer services at the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group, said at the<br />

time: “Going forward, having a minority stake in<br />

a travel business does not fit with the strategy of<br />

the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>. The financial arrangements for exit<br />

that were put in place as part of the original joint<br />

venture agreement represent the best value for our<br />

members. The payments we receive from the exit<br />

will be used to invest in our core business areas.”<br />

However, there was confusion because the<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel brand has continued.<br />

Several regional co-<strong>op</strong>erative societies <strong>op</strong>erated<br />

travel agency <strong>op</strong>erations under the same<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel branding, unaffected by the<br />

tie-up with Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok. These societies included<br />

Midcounties, Lincolnshire, East of England and<br />

Chelmsford Star. There was further confusion<br />

because, although the Midlands <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> sold its<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Travel business, it then merged its core<br />

business with Anglia <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> to become Central<br />

England <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> – taking on Anglia <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>’s travel<br />

business, which is also branded as <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Travel. That continues as a division of Central<br />

England <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>.<br />

Both brands have a long heritage. Thomas<br />

<strong>Co</strong>ok was considered the pioneer of package<br />

holidays – beginning in 1841 with a railway<br />

excursion from Leicester to Loughborough (which<br />

is commemorated with a statue outside Leicester<br />

rail station). <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel was founded<br />

as an excursion department of the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Wholesale Society in 1905, and also initially<br />

focused on rail journeys. Its first overseas holiday<br />

guide was launched in 1920. By the 1950s it was one<br />

of the industry’s t<strong>op</strong> five and was called Travelcare<br />

until its relaunch as <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel in 2007.<br />

It had debts of £1.1bn, which<br />

were costing £170m a year to<br />

service. In 2018 it recorded a loss<br />

of £163m on revenues of £7.4bn<br />

The acquisition of the Group and Midlands’<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel businesses is now regarded<br />

as one of the factors in the failure of Thomas<br />

<strong>Co</strong>ok. While mergers with <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel<br />

and previously with MyTravel in 2007 were seen<br />

as potentially generating substantial economies<br />

of scale, these were not delivered with sufficient<br />

speed. Many cities and towns continued to have<br />

more than one branch of the enlarged business,<br />

which was <strong>op</strong>erating with excessive overheads.<br />

Moreover, the debt involved in achieving the<br />

merger has proven crippling for Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok.<br />

It had debts of £1.1bn, which were costing £170m a<br />

year to service. In 2018 it recorded a loss of £163m<br />

on revenues of £7.4bn.<br />

What is strangest about the Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok<br />

<strong>op</strong>erating strategy is that this debt burden was<br />

taken on as part of the process of enlarging the<br />

retail footprint of the business just at the time<br />

WRITTEN BY:<br />

Paul Gosling<br />

36 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


when increasing amounts of travel commerce were<br />

moving online. Not only were consumers booking<br />

package holidays online rather than in store, but<br />

many more were bypassing travel agents altogether<br />

through mix-and-match flights and hotel bookings,<br />

via specialist websites. Airlines such as easyJet and<br />

Ryanair were also encroaching on Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok’s<br />

traditional territory.<br />

Brexit was in a sense the nail in the coffin.<br />

Many British consumers were reluctant to travel to<br />

Eur<strong>op</strong>ean destinations with the lack of clarity over<br />

issues such as visas, the Eur<strong>op</strong>ean Health Insurance<br />

Card (EHIC) and driving licence validity. The loss<br />

of EHICs will drive up travel insurance costs –<br />

and make Eur<strong>op</strong>ean travel in effect impossible for<br />

some patients with chronic or acute conditions.<br />

The Brexit impact on sterling – down 20% against<br />

the euro at one point recently – is perhaps an even<br />

more important factor.<br />

Those co-<strong>op</strong>erative societies still running<br />

the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel brand say they remain<br />

<strong>op</strong>timistic about the viability of their <strong>op</strong>erations.<br />

“Midcounties did not enter into the agreement and<br />

has continued to <strong>op</strong>erate the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel<br />

brand independently throughout, growing quickly<br />

and profitably from 2011 – with turnover rising from<br />

£65m to over £400m today, <strong>op</strong>erating 60 high street<br />

sh<strong>op</strong>s, 160 home-based agents and 80 independent<br />

agents as part of the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> <strong>Co</strong>nsortium,” said a<br />

Midcounties spokesman. He added: “Midcounties<br />

is not affected by the Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok failure.”<br />

Similarly, Channel Islands <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> refers to its<br />

own travel business – branded as Travelmaker - as<br />

“successful”. Carl Winn, head of Travelmaker, said:<br />

“We would like to advise all our customers who<br />

have booked a Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok, Manos or Airtours<br />

holiday through a local Travelmaker branch that<br />

they are protected with ABTA and ATOL bonding.<br />

All our in-store travel advisors are happy to guide<br />

any customers with outstanding booked holidays<br />

through the process of claiming their money back.”<br />

A spokeswoman for Central England<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative said: “We have been truly saddened<br />

by the news regarding Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok as we have<br />

worked closely with them as part of our travel<br />

business for many years. As an independent travel<br />

agent our priority has been to ensure that all of our<br />

customers currently out in resort get back safely to<br />

the UK... We can reassure our customers that their<br />

package holiday booked with a Central England<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel branch is financially protected<br />

under the CAA ATOL scheme.”<br />

The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Group took the decision to extract<br />

itself from the travel business when the Group<br />

was under the leadership of Peter Marks, who, as<br />

part of the joint venture arrangements, became a<br />

director of Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok Group plc in <strong>October</strong> 2011,<br />

stepping down in February 2014.<br />

In 2009, the last year that the Group separately<br />

reported trading figures for <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Travel<br />

it made a small <strong>op</strong>erating profit of £2.5m, down<br />

from £7.9m the year before. In the following year,<br />

Travel’s financial performance was reported in the<br />

annual report along with other items in a loss on<br />

discontinued activities. It looks as if Travel would<br />

have itself been on a journey towards a large loss<br />

without either major restructuring or else the<br />

sale to Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok. Instead it not only avoided<br />

potentially substantial losses, but also actually<br />

generated a significant capital sum.<br />

Politics section _ Thomas <strong>Co</strong>ok<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 37


CO-OPS & THE<br />

SDGs<br />

“The 2030 Agenda is coming to life”, said UN<br />

Chief António Guterres on 24 September, referring<br />

to the blueprint for a healthier planet and a more<br />

just world, as he <strong>op</strong>ened the first <strong>Sustainable</strong><br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Goals (SDG) Summit in New York. But<br />

he warned that, despite progress, “we must step up<br />

our efforts. Now”.<br />

When the 2030 Agenda for <strong>Sustainable</strong><br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment and its 17 <strong>Sustainable</strong> Devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

Goals (SDGs) was launched four years ago, co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

were excited. This was our arena. Our values and<br />

principles are aligned with the aims of creating a<br />

better world. Democracy, independence, education<br />

and concern for communities are co-<strong>op</strong> values<br />

which support and underpin a number of the SDGs,<br />

from zero hunger (SDG #2) and quality education<br />

(#4) to gender equality (#5), decent work and<br />

economic growth (#8), reduced inequalities (#10)<br />

and responsible consumption and production (#12).<br />

Members of the International <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Alliance (ICA) rallied to show their solidarity and<br />

commitment to this new global devel<strong>op</strong>ment policy,<br />

resulting in <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>s for 2030 – an online platform<br />

for co-<strong>op</strong>s to learn about the SDGs, make pledges<br />

to help achieve them and track their progress. And<br />

there have been some phenomenal successes.<br />

But September’s UN meeting came with a stark<br />

warning. Mr Guterres said that while the progress<br />

made on some of the agenda aims was welcome<br />

– such as an end to extreme poverty and hunger,<br />

a low carbon economy, peaceful and just societies,<br />

and human rights for all – the world is set to miss<br />

the deadline. Deadly conflicts, the climate crisis<br />

and gender-based violence shoulder some of the<br />

blame, he said, as should persistent inequality:<br />

“Half the wealth around the world is held by pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

who could fit around a conference table and, at<br />

the current pace, almost 500 million pe<strong>op</strong>le could<br />

remain in extreme poverty by 2030.”<br />

To tackle this, the UN chief called for global<br />

action in areas such as conflict prevention,<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment finance, and the climate crisis; local<br />

action to make a difference in pe<strong>op</strong>le’s lives; and<br />

building up partnerships that include civil society,<br />

media, the private sector, academia and others.<br />

And he welcomed the ad<strong>op</strong>tion of the Summit’s<br />

political declaration, “Gearing up for a Decade of<br />

Action and Delivery for <strong>Sustainable</strong> Devel<strong>op</strong>ment”,<br />

which calls for enhanced action to achieve the<br />

Goals. Member states pledge to mobilise financing,<br />

enhance national implementation and strengthen<br />

institutions to achieve the objectives of the Agenda,<br />

and leave no one behind.<br />

How can co-<strong>op</strong>s respond to this? The agenda of the<br />

ICA’s Global <strong>Co</strong>nference, held in Rwanda this month<br />

(13-17 <strong>October</strong>), is underpinned by discussions<br />

around the SDGs. But as the incoming President<br />

of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammed-<br />

Bande, told UN delegates: “It is necessary to think<br />

of new ways of accelerating SDGs action for those<br />

that are still behind ... Progress is largely uneven<br />

within and across countries and regions.” One<br />

suggestion was to deepen partnerships, both to<br />

“unlock the trillions of dollars needed to finance<br />

the SDGs” and to “solve challenges”.<br />

The declaration stated the need for “international<br />

co<strong>op</strong>eration” and “enhancing the global<br />

partnership”, recognising that the integrated<br />

nature of the SDGs requires a global response.<br />

It is this partnership work, this co-<strong>op</strong>eration,<br />

where co-<strong>op</strong>eratives should be thriving. Over the<br />

next few pages we hear about the role education<br />

has to play this, and we speak to some of the key<br />

voices who will be discussing the SDGs at the ICA<br />

event. <strong>Sustainable</strong> devel<strong>op</strong>ment is still the arena<br />

for co-<strong>op</strong>s.<br />

But we have to do it bigger, better and faster, with<br />

more trust and with more co-<strong>op</strong>eration.<br />

• By Rebecca Harvey<br />

38 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


MALAWI<br />

Through their values and principles, co-<strong>op</strong>eratives<br />

are ideally poised as important organisations to<br />

help achieve the UN’s 17 SDGs. As an educational<br />

charity, the UK <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>llege (UKCC) has<br />

a clear focus on highlighting just how effective<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s are at meeting many of them simultaneously.<br />

In its courses and learning materials, UKCC<br />

frequently highlights case studies from its work<br />

in places such as Malawi, Rwanda and the UK to<br />

demonstrate everyday examples.<br />

For instance, two recent UKCC projects<br />

encouraging organisations to be more aware of the<br />

SDGs were ‘Supporting <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives in Malawi’<br />

and ‘<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Enterprise Pathways for Economic<br />

and Environmental Sustainability in Malawi’<br />

(CEPEESM). There were some real successes, such<br />

as achieving greater gender and youth equality in<br />

governance structures, encouraging co-<strong>op</strong>s to take<br />

more of a leading role in the care and protection<br />

of the environment, and to focus more specifically<br />

on the provision of quality education and<br />

lifelong learning.<br />

These projects, which completed this year,<br />

assisted with the creation of over 500 co-<strong>op</strong>s and<br />

helped organisations plan and manage their<br />

business, learn new skills to increase production<br />

and become part of a supportive movement that<br />

provided better work <strong>op</strong>portunities and incomes.<br />

My colleague Dr Sarah Alldred, international<br />

programmes manager at UKCC, has witnessed this<br />

first hand. “Our work in Malawi over the past eight<br />

years has seen communities transformed and lives<br />

changed for the better,” she says. “By empowering<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le with the skills and knowledge to make a<br />

difference, we’ve seen stunning results, including a<br />

683% increase in the amount of households using<br />

renewable energy.”<br />

Following on from this, UKCC is working<br />

in partnership with the German <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative<br />

and Raiffeisen <strong>Co</strong>nfederation (DGRV) to focus<br />

on strengthening the Malawi Federation<br />

of <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives (MAFECO) and the devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

of accessible and relevant member education,<br />

training and information for the growing<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement.<br />

DGRV has already been working for some<br />

time supporting co-<strong>op</strong>s in southern Africa, and<br />

through the joint work with UKCC as part of the<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives Eur<strong>op</strong>e Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Platform<br />

(CEDP), a new complementary partnership has<br />

been devel<strong>op</strong>ed on the ground in Malawi, reflecting<br />

SDG 17 and partnerships for the goals.<br />

In September, UKCC, DGRV and MAFECO jointly<br />

hosted a consultation event with the Malawi<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> movement, with stakeholders ranging from<br />

grassroots primary co-<strong>op</strong>eratives to the Assistant<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Registrar from the Ministry of Industry,<br />

Trade and Tourism. The event was designed to<br />

assess the current training and education needs<br />

for co-<strong>op</strong>eratives in Malawi and to enable the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement to shape co-<strong>op</strong> member<br />

education. The day demonstrated the appetite for<br />

a movement-wide co-<strong>op</strong>erative education steering<br />

committee as well as consolidating MAFECO’s<br />

position as the lead for co-<strong>op</strong>erative education.<br />

In addition, MAFECO is working alongside<br />

the government of Malawi (GoM) to create a new<br />

co- <strong>op</strong>erative policy, which will in turn feed into the<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment of a revised <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Act. The GoM<br />

recognises co-<strong>op</strong>eratives as private enterprises that<br />

play a significant role in achieving both national<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment objectives and also shares the United<br />

Nations’ view that co-<strong>op</strong>eratives are crucial in the<br />

realisation of the SDGs.<br />

John Mulangeni, MAFECO lead, says that until<br />

the support from projects such as CEPEESM, there<br />

has historically been a lack of capacity building<br />

for co-<strong>op</strong>s in Malawi – and that the partnership<br />

with DGRV and UKCC will be vital for the future<br />

of co-<strong>op</strong>s in the country.<br />

“It is of great importance that co-<strong>op</strong>s in Malawi<br />

help the country to achieve the UN SDGs,” he adds.<br />

“In co-<strong>op</strong>s we hold hands and help each other;<br />

we are both an economic intervention and<br />

a social intervention.”<br />

• By Dr Amanda<br />

Benson, Projects and<br />

Research Officer at<br />

The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

<strong>Co</strong>llege<br />

• The <strong>Co</strong>llege is<br />

hosting a special<br />

FREE interactive<br />

centenary webinar<br />

about the SDGs on 29<br />

<strong>October</strong> at 16.00 GMT.<br />

See: s.co<strong>op</strong>/23rdj<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 39


ICA-EU PARTNERSHIP<br />

The co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement’s engagement with the<br />

Eur<strong>op</strong>ean <strong>Co</strong>mmission started in 2012 when the EU<br />

co-financed a project called <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives in<br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment. Led by <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives Eur<strong>op</strong>e, the<br />

project aimed to support the activities of the<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives Eur<strong>op</strong>e Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Platform<br />

(CEDP), which had been running since 2009.<br />

The success of the CEDP, which enabled<br />

exchanges within the global co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

network, prompted the <strong>Co</strong>mmission to start a new<br />

partnership with the ICA.<br />

Within the framework of the partnership, the<br />

ICA launched the Global <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Platform (GCDP), which enables<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative devel<strong>op</strong>ment actors to exchange<br />

knowledge, create synergies and reinforce the role<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>eratives play in international devel<strong>op</strong>ment.<br />

“The objective of the Eur<strong>op</strong>ean <strong>Co</strong>mmission is to<br />

strengthen civil society organisations, and we take<br />

great pride in seeing the co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement<br />

stand as an important actor amongst them,” says<br />

Mr Noël.<br />

Those involved in the global platform will<br />

be meeting in Kigali before the main ICA<br />

Global <strong>Co</strong>nference.<br />

Other highlights of the partnership include the<br />

preparation of an online world map, to provide<br />

country-by-country data on co-<strong>op</strong>eratives. The<br />

ICA offices are also working with legal experts in<br />

different countries, to examine how legislation is<br />

impacting co-<strong>op</strong>erative devel<strong>op</strong>ment and suggest<br />

improvements. The first results of these activities<br />

will be presented at the conference in Kigali.<br />

Another important area of work for the<br />

partnership is capacity building. The ICA network<br />

is conducting worksh<strong>op</strong>s for member organisations<br />

to help them strengthen advocacy skills and engage<br />

further with institutional partners, to benefit from<br />

policy dialogue and funding <strong>op</strong>portunities.<br />

Similarly, the ICA and its offices are leading<br />

a number of initiatives aimed at young pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

interested in co-<strong>op</strong> models. Earlier this year,<br />

it set up a mentorship scheme for young pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

interested in starting a co-<strong>op</strong>. The Global<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative Entrepreneurs scheme will help<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le aged 18-35 from across the ICA’s four regions<br />

to devise co-<strong>op</strong>erative solutions to the needs of<br />

their local communities. “It’s about bringing youth<br />

entrepreneurship high on the international co<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment agenda with and through<br />

the co-<strong>op</strong> model,” says Mr Noël.<br />

In February, the ICA is organising a Global Youth<br />

Forum, which will be held in Malaysia. This will be<br />

an <strong>op</strong>portunity for young pe<strong>op</strong>le involved in co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

to take part in trainings and peer-to-peer learning<br />

processes, and find out more about marketing,<br />

financing and other business aspects they may<br />

need support with.<br />

With only weeks to go until the Global <strong>Co</strong>nference<br />

in Kigali, Mr Noël says delegates have plenty to look<br />

forward to.<br />

“The main message would be to take the<br />

<strong>op</strong>portunity to network and exchange ideas with<br />

experts in the devel<strong>op</strong>ment sector. There are many<br />

organisations within and outside the co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

movement with whom building partnerships is<br />

going to create really valuable synergies, that can<br />

help us to foster an inclusive and pe<strong>op</strong>le-centred<br />

growth, in line with our values and principles.”<br />

• Marc Noël is<br />

international<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />

director at the ICA<br />

40 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


RURAL ECONOMY<br />

You are speaking at the ICA's Global<br />

<strong>Co</strong>nference in Rwanda, looking at how<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s can help to achieve a more solidarity<br />

-based and participatory society. Do you<br />

see a role for co-<strong>op</strong>s in helping to meet<br />

Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of the selfsufficient<br />

rural economy?<br />

Gandhi understood and practised non violence<br />

– Ahimsa – at a very deep level. We are social<br />

beings, we are members of the Earth community.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eration is the principle on which nature<br />

and community are organised. In a Gandhian<br />

perspective, co-<strong>op</strong>eration is the lived commitment<br />

to non violence at the collective level. <strong>Co</strong>mpetition<br />

as an imposed ideology and construct is violent<br />

because it disrupts relationships and undermines<br />

our capacity to co-<strong>op</strong>erate on the principles<br />

of solidarity, mutuality and participation.<br />

How does Navdanya promote organic farming<br />

and fair trade? Are any of the farmers you work<br />

with members of co-<strong>op</strong>eratives?<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eration is the very basis of the Navdanya<br />

movement. Our foundation is the creation of<br />

community seed banks to reclaim seeds and<br />

biodiversity as a commons, and resist the<br />

privatisation and mon<strong>op</strong>olisation of seed by<br />

corporations through intellectual pr<strong>op</strong>erty rights.<br />

The big chemical companies have been trying to<br />

control and own the seed, and trying to make the<br />

saving and sharing of seed among farmers illegal. We<br />

believe that farmers have a fundamental duty and<br />

right to save seeds, and through seed sovereignty<br />

build food sovereignty. We practise and promote<br />

participatory and evolutionary breeding based on<br />

the recognition of farmers as breeders. And farmers<br />

create collectives as producers of organic food,<br />

joining hands to practise economic and market<br />

sovereignty. Biodiversity-based organic farming<br />

as practised by Navdanya members can feed two<br />

times India’s p<strong>op</strong>ulation. And Navdanya members<br />

practising seed sovereignty, food sovereignty,<br />

knowledge sovereignty and economic sovereignty<br />

and solidarity earn 10 times more than farmers<br />

growing chemically intensive commodities with<br />

costs of inputs and costs of produce determined by<br />

big corporations. In the corporate model, farmers<br />

spend more than they earn, and are getting trapped<br />

in debt. More than 300,000 debt trapped farmers in<br />

India have committed suicide since 1995. Navdanya<br />

works for a hunger-free, suicide-free India.<br />

Do co-<strong>op</strong>s need to ad<strong>op</strong>t a more radical<br />

approach when it comes to climate change<br />

and the destruction of nature?<br />

We are members of the Earth family. <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eration<br />

with nature, her laws, her limits has to become the<br />

next step of the co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement to address<br />

challenges of climate chaos, water emergency, and<br />

the threat of extinction. <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eration now has to<br />

become our common commitment to thrive as one<br />

humanity on one planet.<br />

You have fought against the mon<strong>op</strong>oly<br />

of seeds in the hands the global corporations.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>uld the co-<strong>op</strong>erative model be an<br />

alternative – such as in the case of IFFCO,<br />

India's largest fertiliser manufacturer?<br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmunity seed banks are an important aspect<br />

of the alternative to the corporate mon<strong>op</strong>oly on<br />

seed. Some co-<strong>op</strong>eratives have been successful<br />

in keeping seeds free of corporate control.<br />

This movement needs to grow bigger and<br />

spread worldwide.<br />

• Vandana Shiva is<br />

an Indian scholar,<br />

environmental activist,<br />

food sovereignty<br />

advocate, and<br />

anti-globalisation<br />

author. She founded<br />

Navdanya (an NGO<br />

working to protect the<br />

diversity and integrity<br />

of living resources)<br />

in 1991 and is one of<br />

the keynote speakers<br />

at the ICA's Global<br />

<strong>Co</strong>nference<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 41


SDG 10<br />

How are the ICA Asia-Pacific region and its<br />

members working to tackle inequality?<br />

Since 1990, the Asia-Pacific region has lifted 1.1<br />

billion pe<strong>op</strong>le out of extreme poverty. Still, the<br />

region has 400 million pe<strong>op</strong>le in extreme poverty,<br />

and is seeing a rapid rise in inequality.<br />

Economic growth alone is not sufficient to reduce<br />

inequality, which results from unequal access to<br />

education, finance, health, and technology; lack of<br />

resilience in the face of environmental hazards and<br />

natural disasters; lack of information to services;<br />

and lack of <strong>op</strong>portunities.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s in the Asia-Pacific focus on pe<strong>op</strong>le being<br />

left behind; they look at the real economy, long-term<br />

job creation and increasing wealth – and combine<br />

these with social inclusion and the environment.<br />

In the region, agriculture is the main source of<br />

work, and co-<strong>op</strong>s are at the forefront of doubling<br />

farmers’ incomes. Ageing is a growing challenge;<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s in Singapore and Japan are working to<br />

meet health needs, and building social networks<br />

to ensure individuals live in their communities and<br />

continue to do things they enjoy.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s are building resilience in earthquakeaffected<br />

Nepal and cyclone-hit Vanuatu. In China<br />

and Korea, they are investing in tech to connect<br />

rural producers to urban consumers and cutting<br />

out the middle men to save income. The concerns<br />

of youth and the representation of women are<br />

also key.<br />

What are the big obstacles to progress?<br />

The global growth outlook has weakened amid<br />

unresolved trade tensions, elevated international<br />

policy uncertainty and disillusionment with<br />

globalisation. Across devel<strong>op</strong>ed and devel<strong>op</strong>ing<br />

countries, growth projections for <strong>2019</strong> have been<br />

downgraded. But the latest UN report on the global<br />

outlook finds that overall economic growth for the<br />

Asia-Pacific region remains strong compared to<br />

other devel<strong>op</strong>ing regions.<br />

This does not mean we can sit back –<br />

growth is slowing, as is job creation in China<br />

and India, which are economic drivers in<br />

the region; household and corporate debt is<br />

increasing in parts of East Asia; the dr<strong>op</strong> in oil<br />

prices is fuelling concerns in the Middle East<br />

and ongoing conflicts are adding to tensions;<br />

the effects of climate change are seen across<br />

the region.<br />

How can co-<strong>op</strong>s generate and share<br />

consistent data to support evidence-based<br />

research?<br />

This is a challenge. Examples we have tend to be<br />

mostly through case studies. This is not to say<br />

there is no research being carried out; but this<br />

tends to be sample based and data collected is as<br />

part of the study. What we need, as you have asked<br />

is consistent data which can support research.<br />

Data, where available is very macro. It is not very<br />

disaggregated. What we need is consistent data<br />

which can support research. Apex organisations<br />

need to work with government departments and<br />

statistical agencies to ensure data on co-<strong>op</strong>s is<br />

systematically collected.<br />

Should co-<strong>op</strong>s work with other organisations?<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eration among co-<strong>op</strong>eratives is one of the<br />

principles which needs strengthening. Credit,<br />

agriculture and consumer co-<strong>op</strong>s need to work<br />

together to build the co-<strong>op</strong>erative ecosystem.<br />

A good example is the Uralungal Labor <strong>Co</strong>ntract<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative Society (ULCCS) in India. When ULCCS<br />

wanted to raise US$31m (£25.11m) as a security<br />

deposit to bid for road reconstruction work in<br />

Kozhikode, it reached out to the primary co-<strong>op</strong><br />

banks in the area.<br />

These formed a consortium, whose principles<br />

were to use co-<strong>op</strong>erative funds for co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment; to devel<strong>op</strong> co-<strong>op</strong> credibility – ULCCS<br />

won the project competing with many multinational<br />

corporations – and the financial participation from<br />

primary co-<strong>op</strong>s to make this project a collective<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> venture.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s have strong supporters in the EU, and in<br />

several UN agencies. We need to leverage on this.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s are active in the implementation<br />

of the <strong>Sustainable</strong> Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Goals. The SDGs<br />

are a commitment of the global community and we<br />

need to actively engage with others to ensure the<br />

goals are met.<br />

• Balu Iyer, director<br />

general of ICA<br />

Asia Pacific, who will<br />

sit on a panel at Kigali<br />

to discuss the role of<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s in achieving<br />

SDG 10<br />

42 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


SDG 05<br />

Who is involved in the ICA’s Gender Equality<br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmittee? How do you coordinate with all the<br />

regions within your remit?<br />

The Gender Equality <strong>Co</strong>mmittee is made up of<br />

the organisations that have asked to be involved.<br />

Participation is <strong>op</strong>tional for members – and those<br />

who wish to be on the committee must submit an<br />

application. The executive committee is elected<br />

every four years and is composed of a president,<br />

two vice presidents and four other members.<br />

What are the most urgent issues that need<br />

to be addressed to empower women in the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement?<br />

The members of the ICA’s Gender Equality<br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmittee have drawn up a plan regarding<br />

these issues:<br />

• <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives must be aware of the importance of<br />

gender equality committees within organisations.<br />

• They must allocate budget to gender equality<br />

committees and support, uphold and integrate<br />

their work into the organisation.<br />

• The international executive committee has also<br />

defined a number of work streams – such as<br />

gender violence (which occurs in every continent)<br />

and issues concerning research and data (which<br />

are needed to devel<strong>op</strong> policies that enable us to<br />

work on gender equality).<br />

• Budget needs to be allocated for a range of<br />

action and activities to enable presence and<br />

representation, such as participating in national<br />

and international events – as well as addressing<br />

other visibility issues when it comes to ad<strong>op</strong>ting<br />

gender equality regulations.<br />

To empower women, we need to give them training<br />

that allows them to assume leadership. It is<br />

important that they have economic autonomy,<br />

and that they are recognised as pe<strong>op</strong>le with<br />

power within the co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement. It’s also<br />

important that they begin to <strong>op</strong>erate in the different<br />

spaces within co-<strong>op</strong>eratives.<br />

What have co-<strong>op</strong>eratives achieved so far in the<br />

fight for gender equality?<br />

We have made significant progress, as more and<br />

more women are not only in membership, but also<br />

in management positions. However, there is still<br />

a long way to go. There are several co-<strong>op</strong>eratives<br />

that have given women irrelevant leadership<br />

positions within their management structures.<br />

The fact that women are visible in organisations<br />

is an enormous step. We now occupy significant<br />

positions as members of the board of directors,<br />

chairs of the board or of control bodies such as<br />

monitoring boards or trustees.<br />

What are the obstacles for co-<strong>op</strong>s seeking to<br />

achieve progress regarding gender equality?<br />

One of the most difficult obstacles is pe<strong>op</strong>le not<br />

being aware of what gender equality really means.<br />

Gender equality is not just having lots of women<br />

working in an organisation – it’s ensuring that<br />

women and men have equal <strong>op</strong>portunities and that<br />

we are qualified in the same way to be able to access<br />

both administrative and managerial positions.<br />

We must achieve equity before we can achieve<br />

equality. Equity must be achieved, not only in<br />

the same access to offers and services, but also<br />

to leadership <strong>op</strong>portunities and to the possibility<br />

of participating in different areas of a co-<strong>op</strong>erative.<br />

Women’s actions need to be visible. We all know<br />

that we are in the co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement, but<br />

women’s actions are not as visible as they should<br />

be to make them protagonists in co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

history. Generating that awareness has been one of<br />

the most difficult things. But once that awareness<br />

has been achieved, it must be institutionalised.<br />

It must form the foundation of co-<strong>op</strong> life, with<br />

the intention of working towards equality<br />

between men and women – and to govern and<br />

participate in administrative and associative<br />

action on equal terms.<br />

In short, it’s about applying and bringing to life<br />

each of the co-<strong>op</strong>erative principles. That’s how<br />

we can achieve equality, but first of all we need<br />

women’s actions within co-<strong>op</strong>eratives to be made<br />

visible, and for this, men and women have to be<br />

aware of the need to work together.<br />

• María Eugenia Pérez<br />

Zea is president<br />

of the <strong>Co</strong>lombian<br />

Association of<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives<br />

(ASCOOP) and chair<br />

of the ICA’s Gender<br />

Equality <strong>Co</strong>mmittee<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 43


SDG 08<br />

At Kigali, you will take part in a panel on<br />

innovation in entrepreneurship through the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> model. What should delegates expect<br />

from this session?<br />

We will explore what co-<strong>op</strong>s could contribute<br />

to make the future of work more humane. Many<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le now are working independently and often<br />

in isolation, with no <strong>op</strong>portunity to exchange news<br />

with other colleagues. Workers need to form co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

that bring them together, not necessarily physically,<br />

but virtually. For example, translators could build a<br />

network just to have a common brand, and use the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> to market their services.<br />

At the same time, the traditional employer/<br />

employee relationship being is replaced in many<br />

instances by a subcontracting relationship where<br />

the employee works for a short period of time on a<br />

specific contract, without much bargaining power.<br />

Workers need co-<strong>op</strong>s to defend their rights and<br />

negotiate collectively.<br />

You were one of the authors of the recent<br />

book on the future of work marking the ILO’s<br />

centenary. Can you tell us more about your<br />

chapter?<br />

The chapter has three parts. The first looks at<br />

global challenges in terms of demographics, such<br />

as a growing and ageing p<strong>op</strong>ulation; technological<br />

trends, such as digitisation and automation;<br />

economic trends, including globalisation and the<br />

emergence of new economic powers in the global<br />

south; and environmental trends, such as climate<br />

change and resource depletion. The second looks<br />

at the impact of these trends on the world of work.<br />

The chapter portrays a changing world of work,<br />

not necessarily in a negative way, but in a way that<br />

suggests pe<strong>op</strong>le have to be prepared. The third part<br />

examines how co-<strong>op</strong>s in devel<strong>op</strong>ed or devel<strong>op</strong>ing<br />

countries can take advantage of changes in the<br />

world of work, and counter negative effects.<br />

How can co-<strong>op</strong>s contribute to the SDGs?<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s can play an important role but it would be<br />

counter-productive to claim they are ideally placed<br />

to achieve all of the 17 SDGs and 169 targets. The<br />

point is to identify those SDG targets to which<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s can contribute, specifically because they are<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s, and because of their specific values. If you<br />

take that approach, the number of targets that are<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>-specific is much smaller – I identified 15 in a<br />

paper I worked on two years ago. By concentrating<br />

your effort on fewer targets, you become more<br />

visible. This is just a view.<br />

Are co-<strong>op</strong>s ambitious enough with the SDGs?<br />

They could take more initiative. When you go to<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> meetings, often we are speaking to ourselves<br />

and saying co-<strong>op</strong>s are the best form of enterprise.<br />

What we need to do is to critically analyse our<br />

movement and grow out of the comfort zone.<br />

It is not enough to say that 300 million pe<strong>op</strong>le are<br />

working in co-<strong>op</strong>s because outside the co-<strong>op</strong> world<br />

most pe<strong>op</strong>le don’t know about it.<br />

How can co-<strong>op</strong>s bring in like-minded<br />

organisations?<br />

The global co-<strong>op</strong> movement needs to be more<br />

<strong>op</strong>en and look at other organisations with whom<br />

it can build alliances. Many co-<strong>op</strong> promoters are<br />

sceptical about the social and solidarity economy;<br />

I am of a different view. They have similar values<br />

and principles as co-<strong>op</strong>s. They might not be<br />

structured as co-<strong>op</strong>s but there is nothing wrong<br />

with that. There are common interests and goals.<br />

Right now, I am working on a paper on the<br />

informal economy in Africa; this is abound with<br />

associations, self-help groups, rotating savings and<br />

credit associations and other forms of collective<br />

action. Many of them <strong>op</strong>erate on co-<strong>op</strong> principles<br />

without calling themselves “co-<strong>op</strong>erative”… The<br />

formal, traditional co-<strong>op</strong> movement should be more<br />

<strong>op</strong>en to bringing such associations on board and<br />

forming partnerships; much as trade unions are<br />

<strong>op</strong>ening their doors to informal economy workers.<br />

The co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement should also<br />

explore avenues to reinvigorate its partnership<br />

with trade unions, both at global and national<br />

level. And why not also enter into a partnership<br />

with the employers’ organisations? After all,<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>s are also employers, and they are part of the<br />

private sector.<br />

• Jürgen Schwettman<br />

is an independent<br />

consultant based in<br />

Germany specialised<br />

in co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment. He has<br />

spent 28 years at the<br />

International Labour<br />

Organization, holding<br />

different positions,<br />

including six years as<br />

chief of the co-<strong>op</strong> unit<br />

44 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


SDG 12<br />

What are the key priorities on inclusive ethical<br />

value chains – and how do co-<strong>op</strong>s fit in?<br />

If you take almost all the recent trends in society<br />

and the economy you will see that co-<strong>op</strong>s have been<br />

forerunners. The co-<strong>op</strong> movement should make a<br />

big scan of its workings and see if the core standards<br />

of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and<br />

the human rights principles are respected.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s want to correct what is going wrong, and<br />

they want to detect alternatives. This is exactly<br />

what is needed when we see a global market,<br />

production and consumption that is shamelessly<br />

affected by indecent situations like child labour,<br />

exploitation of workers and farmers, hazardous<br />

working conditions and human rights abuses.<br />

How can retailers help ensure inclusive<br />

value chains?<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> retailers should not underestimate the<br />

influence of the ethical buying movement.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>nsumer power is real power. And we are not only<br />

talking about individual consumers but also about<br />

not-for-profit organisations and governments as big<br />

consumers. But, of course, retailers also buy and<br />

thus also have power; they can impose conditions<br />

on suppliers.<br />

Some retailers are devel<strong>op</strong>ing their own<br />

accreditation for suppliers. What impact<br />

could this have?<br />

There is indeed a proliferation of social audit<br />

and certification systems, and the fragmentation<br />

and duplication becomes a nuisance. One buyer<br />

of garments in Bangladesh might require the<br />

lamps to be at 80cm distance from the workers;<br />

another might impose a 1m distance. That is why<br />

we need coordinated initiatives like the Better<br />

Work Programme of the ILO. This is devel<strong>op</strong>ing<br />

global tools for the garment industry. Factories<br />

have steadily improved compliance covering<br />

compensation, contracts, occupational safety and<br />

health and working time. This has significantly<br />

improved working conditions productivity and<br />

profitability. Several thousands of apparel factories<br />

are involved and millions of workers benefit.<br />

What are the big obstacles in terms of<br />

ensuring the globalisation of inclusive ethical<br />

value chains?<br />

We need a consensus on criteria; the core ILO<br />

conventions are a good starting point. I believe<br />

there is a universal acceptance that we should not<br />

consume items produced by forced labour, that<br />

child labour should be excluded and that men<br />

and women should be paid equally. But many<br />

audit and certification systems overlook two more<br />

fundamental conventions – freedom of association<br />

and the right to be involved in social dialogue. They<br />

water these down by vaguely paying attention to<br />

so-called systems of stakeholder participation.<br />

Also, many social audits still interview workers in<br />

the factories. It is not rocket science to say that the<br />

information gathered in this way will not be very<br />

reliable or valid. We should move towards systems<br />

of due diligence, starting from a risk analysis,<br />

screening the whole chain, devel<strong>op</strong> action plans<br />

with concrete measures and be fully transparent.<br />

What has been achieved so far?<br />

I think the ground and conditions are created for<br />

further progress towards more inclusive ethical<br />

value chains. Civil society has played a major<br />

role in this, together with the non-governmental<br />

organisations and the co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement.<br />

Look at Fairtrade – largely organised as a<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement – or the Clean Clothes<br />

Campaign that raised awareness about abuses<br />

in the garment industry. A growing number of<br />

countries are devel<strong>op</strong>ing national action plans for<br />

human rights due diligence as a way for enterprises<br />

to manage adverse human rights impact.<br />

What is your message to the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement?<br />

Take this devel<strong>op</strong>ment seriously. To be co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

or not will depend on our adherence to human rights<br />

principles. To be co-<strong>op</strong>erative or not will depend on<br />

our vanguard role in this global movement because<br />

of our DNA. To be co-<strong>op</strong>erative or not will depend<br />

on our creative ability to correct what is going<br />

wrong and to detect what can be done.<br />

• Patrick Develtere<br />

is a principal advisor<br />

of the Eur<strong>op</strong>ean<br />

Political Strategy<br />

Centre (EPSC), the inhouse<br />

thinktank of the<br />

Eur<strong>op</strong>ean <strong>Co</strong>mmission.<br />

He will be a keynote<br />

speaker at Kigali<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 45


TECH<br />

&<br />

THE SDGs<br />

The UN <strong>Sustainable</strong> Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Agenda has<br />

positioned science, technology and innovation<br />

(STI) as key means of implementation of the SDGs.<br />

Goal 9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure<br />

– specifically refers to the role of technology<br />

in achieving the United Nation's sustainable<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment agenda.<br />

Targets include supporting domestic technology<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment, research and innovation in<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ing countries; increasing access to<br />

information and communications technology; and<br />

striving to provide universal and affordable access<br />

to the internet in least devel<strong>op</strong>ed countries by 2020.<br />

Tech can enhance productivity, accelerate<br />

economic growth, enable knowledge and<br />

information sharing and increase access to<br />

basic services. But digital divides can also<br />

further inequality. “We need to harness the<br />

benefits of advanced technologies for all,” said<br />

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, at the<br />

closing of the 2018 High-level Political Forum on<br />

<strong>Sustainable</strong> Devel<strong>op</strong>ment.<br />

The <strong>2019</strong> SDG Report reveals that the share of<br />

medium-high- and high-tech industries in total<br />

manufacturing value added increased from 40.5%<br />

in 2000 to 44.7% in 2016. Yet not all regions<br />

across the world benefited. The shares in Oceania<br />

(excluding Australia and New Zealand) and<br />

sub-Saharan Africa were only 1.9% and 14.9%,<br />

respectively.<br />

Similarly, in 2018, 96% of the world’s<br />

p<strong>op</strong>ulation lived within reach of a mobile-cellular<br />

signal, and 90% of pe<strong>op</strong>le could access the<br />

internet through a third generation (3G) or higherquality<br />

network. But while most live within range<br />

of these signals, not all are able to take advantage<br />

of them. Half of the world’s p<strong>op</strong>ulation is currently<br />

using the Internet, with rates much lower in least<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ed countries.<br />

Disparities also exist in terms of research<br />

and devel<strong>op</strong>ment. In Eur<strong>op</strong>e and Northern<br />

America, 2.21% of GDP was spent on research<br />

and devel<strong>op</strong>ment in 2016, compared to 0.42% and<br />

0.83%, respectively, in sub-Saharan Africa and<br />

Western Asia.<br />

Can co-<strong>op</strong>eration help to drive the agenda?<br />

The Age of Digital Interdependence, a 2018<br />

report of the UN secretary-general’s High-level<br />

Panel on Digital <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eration, says increasing<br />

digital interdependence means that more digital<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>eration is required. The panel works to<br />

explore ways for various stakeholders to come<br />

together to address the social, ethical, legal and<br />

economic impact of digital technologies in order to<br />

maximise their benefits and minimise their harm.<br />

The report suggests creating digital co-<strong>op</strong>eration<br />

networks. These networks would be issue specific<br />

horizontal collaboration groups, involving<br />

stakeholders from relevant vertical sectors<br />

and institutions.<br />

In the UK, co-<strong>op</strong>s in the tech sector are already<br />

working together under <strong>Co</strong>Tech’s umbrella. <strong>Co</strong>Tech<br />

is a network of ethical co-<strong>op</strong>eratives and freelancers<br />

providing technology, digital and creative services.<br />

The network’s members collaborate and share<br />

resources and skills to make access to technological<br />

know-how fairer and more efficient.<br />

Other co-<strong>op</strong>s are using the <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>sfor2030<br />

platform to pledge their commitment to the SDGs.<br />

More than 300 co-<strong>op</strong>s do so – including the<br />

US-based <strong>Co</strong>Lab <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative. In its pledge, the<br />

co-<strong>op</strong> commits to building websites and tools<br />

based on partnership and pe<strong>op</strong>le-focused solutions<br />

that support achievement of the SDGs. As part<br />

of this, <strong>Co</strong>Lab says it is focusing on starting new<br />

partnerships to support the achievement of the<br />

• Environmentally<br />

friendly clothing<br />

sh<strong>op</strong> Just Hazel uses<br />

Partago to reflect its<br />

sustainability values<br />

(Photo: Partago)<br />

46 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


sustainable devel<strong>op</strong>ment goals in all countries, in<br />

particular devel<strong>op</strong>ing countries.<br />

The co-<strong>op</strong> builds platforms for a number of<br />

organisations, including Green Worker <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>erative<br />

and Up and Go. The former helps immigrants<br />

and communities of colour to set up and devel<strong>op</strong><br />

worker-owned green businesses. Similarly, Up<br />

and Go, a platform co-<strong>op</strong>, connects domestic<br />

workers with those looking for cleaning services.<br />

The cleaners own the co-<strong>op</strong> and earn a living wage<br />

while investing in growing Up and Go locally. In<br />

addition to running the company, the cleaners<br />

earn more. For every dollar paid for their services,<br />

95 cents goes to the cleaners themselves with five<br />

cents going towards maintaining the app. Other<br />

agencies or apps distribute between 20 and 50 cents<br />

to owners and outside investors, which means that<br />

less of the dollar goes to the workers.<br />

In Barcelona, delivery workers are also<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ing their own app. The project started<br />

after delivery drivers employed by the largest<br />

delivery apps unionised under RidersXDerechos<br />

(Riders4Rights). They went on strike and<br />

demonstrated against their self-employed status,<br />

which they believed to be inaccurate. They were<br />

soon dismissed and decided to set up the Mensaka<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>, launching their own delivery platform.<br />

“We thought it would be interesting to not only<br />

attack the platform economy bun also demonstrate<br />

that an alternative was possible,” says 24-year-old<br />

member Núria Soto.<br />

Mensaka plans to launch its app by the end of<br />

the year. Until then, they have started working<br />

using an <strong>op</strong>en software app provided by <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>cycle,<br />

the Eur<strong>op</strong>ean Federation of bike delivery co-<strong>op</strong>s.<br />

To bring their project to life, they launched a<br />

crowdfunding campaign though which they raised<br />

€18,838 (£17,155).<br />

“We chose the co-<strong>op</strong>erative model because we<br />

thought it was the most <strong>op</strong>posed to the current big<br />

platforms. It was also an enterprise model that fit<br />

in with our philos<strong>op</strong>hy, putting workers and pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />

before capital,” added Ms Soto.<br />

Car-sharing platforms are another trend – and in<br />

Belgium a co-<strong>op</strong> is enabling pe<strong>op</strong>le to share electric<br />

cars, in line with SDG 7: affordable and clean<br />

energy; 11: sustainable cities and communities;<br />

and 12: responsible consumption and production.<br />

Lucie Evers, co-founder of Partago, says the<br />

project started in 2015 when a few pe<strong>op</strong>le in the<br />

local community in Gent. Members can use the app<br />

to reserve an electric car.<br />

Partago started working with SomMobilidad,<br />

a Spanish tech co-<strong>op</strong> which wrote the code and<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ed the app. SomMobilidad forms part of<br />

SomEnergia, a renewable energy co-<strong>op</strong>erative.<br />

The two co-<strong>op</strong>s met through Res<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong> EU, the<br />

Eur<strong>op</strong>ean federation of renewable energy co-<strong>op</strong>s,<br />

of which they are members. Together they founded<br />

the Mobility Factory, a Eur<strong>op</strong>ean co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

enterprise which set up an e-car sharing platform<br />

for its members. Each co-<strong>op</strong> member of the Mobility<br />

Factory SCE is co-owner of the IT platform. So far,<br />

they have eight co-<strong>op</strong>erative members from four<br />

Eur<strong>op</strong>ean countries – and they h<strong>op</strong>e the model will<br />

be picked up by other citizens across the continent.<br />

As digital connectivity continues to drive the<br />

Fourth Industrial Revolution, more disruption<br />

is to be expected. In a recent report, the United<br />

Nations Economic and Social <strong>Co</strong>mmission for<br />

Asia and Pacific explores the relationship between<br />

technology and inequalities. The research points<br />

out that a number of low-income countries lagged<br />

behind and did not benefit equally from the<br />

digital revolution. UNESCA expects the digital<br />

divide to amplify the technology divide and widen<br />

inequalities between subregions, countries and<br />

pe<strong>op</strong>le. It adds that the potential of technologies<br />

to reduce inequality depends on the capabilities<br />

of the poor to access and use technologies and<br />

solutions that respond to their needs. Tech co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

could make a difference by working together as<br />

well as providing the technology those affected<br />

need to be empowered.<br />

• Mensaka co-<strong>op</strong><br />

is launching its own<br />

delivery platform app<br />

(Photo: Pixtin.es)<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> | 47


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of Work<br />

Introduction<br />

Bruno Roelants and Hyungsik Eum<br />

1. Work and co<strong>op</strong>eratives: A century of ILO interaction with the<br />

co<strong>op</strong>erative movement<br />

Claudia Sanchez Bajo<br />

2. <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives and the future of work<br />

Jürgen Schwettmann<br />

3. <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives and fundamental principles and rights at work: Natural<br />

disposition or commitment to action?<br />

Simel Eşim, Waltteri Katajamäki and Guy Tchami<br />

4. The autonomy or heteronomy of co<strong>op</strong>erative worker ownership<br />

Manuel Garcia Jiménez<br />

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work: How can the co<strong>op</strong>erative model be an answer<br />

Hyungsik Eum<br />

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empowerment in Rwanda’s rural areas – A case study of Karaba coffee<br />

co<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Gisaro M. Ya-Bititi, Philippe Lebailly, Deogratias Sebahire Mbonyinkebe and<br />

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women empowerment through participatory strategies in India<br />

Sudha Kornginnaya<br />

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ideals and raising gender awareness<br />

Sonia Maria Dias and Ana Carolina Ogando<br />

9. <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives and trade unions: From occasional partners to builders of<br />

a solidarity-based society<br />

Akira Kurimoto<br />

10. Saving jobs and businesses in times of crisis: The Italian road to<br />

creating worker co<strong>op</strong>eratives from worker buyouts<br />

Marcelo Vieta<br />

11. <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives of independent workers in Finland: A unique forum for<br />

self-employment<br />

Anu Puusa and Kirsi Hokkila<br />

12. Labour transformation and institutional re-arrangement in France: A<br />

preliminary study of a business and employment co<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Mélissa Boudes<br />

13. Multi-stakeholder co<strong>op</strong>eratives as a means for jobs creation and<br />

social transformation<br />

Sonja Novkovic<br />

14. An internet of ownership: Democratic design for the online economy<br />

Nathan Scheider<br />

Edited by Bruno<br />

Roelants, Hyungsik<br />

Eum, Simel Esim,<br />

Sonja Novkovic,<br />

Waltteri Katajamäki<br />

(Routledge, £29.99)<br />

The world of work is facing the biggest<br />

transformations since the Industrial Revolution –<br />

and workers are being forced to adapt at fast pace. A<br />

new book marking the ILO’s centenary argues co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

can play a key role in providing the solutions they<br />

need to c<strong>op</strong>e with recent shifts and restructuring.<br />

Book cover<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives and the World of<br />

Work explores past and present day challenges,<br />

from the days of the Rochdale Pioneers to the<br />

present experiments around the co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

<strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives and the<br />

World of Work<br />

Edited by Bruno Roelants, International <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Alliance, Hyungsik Eum, CICOPA (International<br />

Organisation of Industrial and Service <strong>Co</strong><strong>op</strong>eratives),<br />

Simel Esim, International Labour Office,<br />

Sonja Novkovic, International <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Alliance<br />

Research <strong>Co</strong>mmittee and Waltteri Katajamäki,<br />

International Labour Office.<br />

As the world of work and jobs is more uncertain than<br />

ever platform through economy.<br />

the rise of robotics and the gig economy,<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives It travels and back the World in time of Work to furthers ILO’s the early days in<br />

debate on the future of work, sustainable<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment, a war-torn and world the social in 1919. and solidarity Under economy the leadership of of<br />

which Albert co<strong>op</strong>eratives Thomas, are the a fundamental ILO’s first component. director who had been<br />

Throughout<br />

previously<br />

the<br />

linked<br />

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to<br />

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The book looks at the historical changes of the<br />

debate on the more fundamental role that<br />

co<strong>op</strong>eratives ILO’s position play in responding co-<strong>op</strong>eratives to social changes and and of the notion<br />

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<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives, argue the authors, have the ability<br />

to respond to these social changes and generate<br />

innovative solutions. They also note that co-<strong>op</strong>s<br />

have designed and experimented organisational<br />

innovation, responding to members’ needs but also<br />

their aspirations.<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>s are portrayed as alternative models to<br />

the mainstream economic system. In his chapter<br />

ILO expert Jürgen Schwettmann pr<strong>op</strong>oses<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ing a pragmatic strategy of co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

devel<strong>op</strong>ment in the context of the future of work.<br />

He argues there is a need for co-<strong>op</strong>eration beyond<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>eratives, building alliances with likeminded<br />

movements, organising co-<strong>op</strong>eration along<br />

global supply chains and co-<strong>op</strong>eratives formed in<br />

response to emerging trends.<br />

The book is also a call for action, pr<strong>op</strong>osing<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>erators, political leaders and the public<br />

to envision a future with more sustainable,<br />

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co-<strong>op</strong>erative model.<br />

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DIARY<br />

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT:<br />

Rochdale Town Hall hosts the CCIN<br />

annual conference (2 Oct); as well as<br />

the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>llege’s centenary<br />

conference where Esther N. Gicheru,<br />

of the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative University <strong>Co</strong>llege<br />

of Kenya will be speaking (26-28 Nov);<br />

the ICA’s Global <strong>Co</strong>nference is at the<br />

Kigali <strong>Co</strong>nvention Centre in Rwanda (14-17<br />

Oct); and the NCBA-CLUSA <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> Impact<br />

<strong>Co</strong>nference is in Arlington (2-4 Oct)<br />

2 Oct: <strong>2019</strong> CCIN Annual <strong>Co</strong>nference<br />

and <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Showcase<br />

Hosted by the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>uncils<br />

Innovation Network, this year’s theme<br />

is Devel<strong>op</strong>ing <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>uncils,<br />

Building <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative Places, and is a<br />

chance to meet other co-<strong>op</strong>erators from<br />

around the UK, share ideas and network.<br />

WHERE: Rochdale Town Hall, UK<br />

INFO: s.co<strong>op</strong>/23rdg<br />

2-4 Oct: Power in Purpose: Building the<br />

Next Economy<br />

NCBA CLUSA’s <strong>2019</strong> IMPACT <strong>Co</strong>nference<br />

is an <strong>op</strong>portunity for all co-<strong>op</strong>eratives<br />

to discuss innovations and share best<br />

practices in governance, communications,<br />

community involvement, education and<br />

co-<strong>op</strong>eration among co-<strong>op</strong>eratives.<br />

WHERE: Sheraton Pentagon<br />

City Hotel, Arlington, VA<br />

INFO: s.co<strong>op</strong>/23rdi<br />

11-13 Oct: The <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />

Party <strong>Co</strong>nference<br />

The annual event will include<br />

debates on policy; Q&As with<br />

elected representatives from the UK,<br />

Scottish and Wales parliaments and<br />

councils across the UK; a series of<br />

informative and constructive worksh<strong>op</strong>s<br />

and examples of best practice from<br />

local co-<strong>op</strong>s. There are networking<br />

<strong>op</strong>portunities, and members can<br />

take part in the Party’s diversity<br />

networks (including BAME, disability,<br />

LGBT+, women and youth).<br />

WHERE: Doubletree, Glasgow<br />

INFO: s.co<strong>op</strong>/22h9f<br />

14-17 Oct: ICA <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives for<br />

Devel<strong>op</strong>ment Global <strong>Co</strong>nference<br />

The conference will be structured<br />

around plenary sessions, sectoral<br />

and thematic seminars and discussion<br />

panels. It is <strong>op</strong>en to co-<strong>op</strong>erators<br />

worldwide and also to other civil<br />

society actors, devel<strong>op</strong>ment agencies,<br />

policy makers, institutional partners,<br />

government representatives,<br />

researchers, and all those who<br />

are concerned about devel<strong>op</strong>ment.<br />

WHERE: Kigali, Rwanda<br />

INFO: kigali<strong>2019</strong>.co<strong>op</strong><br />

18 Oct: <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Energy Awards <strong>2019</strong><br />

<strong>Co</strong>mmunity Energy England & <strong>Co</strong>mmunity<br />

Energy Wales have teamed up to deliver<br />

the <strong>2019</strong> <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Energy Awards,<br />

celebrating the individuals (many of<br />

whom are volunteers) making a difference<br />

in their communities, and the projects<br />

and partners who have helped devel<strong>op</strong><br />

innovative energy schemes.<br />

WHERE: City Hall, London<br />

INFO: communityenergyengland.org<br />

7 Nov: Practitioners’ Forum<br />

Professional training event organised by<br />

<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>eratives UK for pe<strong>op</strong>le <strong>op</strong>erating in<br />

key roles in co-<strong>op</strong>erative businesses both<br />

large and small. Featuring a series of<br />

specialist forums: communications;<br />

finance; governance; HR; and membership,<br />

with delegates able to mix and match<br />

across forums.<br />

WHERE: The Studio, Manchester<br />

INFO: s.co<strong>op</strong>/23jas<br />

26-28 Nov: <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative <strong>Co</strong>llege<br />

100 years: And now the future<br />

Rochdale and its town hall will be<br />

the venue for a highlight of the<br />

<strong>Co</strong>llege’s centenary year. Speakers<br />

include Prof Esther N. Gicheru<br />

(principal, the <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erative University<br />

<strong>Co</strong>llege of Kenya), Andy Burnham (mayor<br />

of Greater Manchester) and Angela<br />

Rayner (Labour MP for Ashton-under-<br />

Lyne, Droylsden and Failsworth). The<br />

conference will include a gala dinner in<br />

the Grand Hall.<br />

WHERE: Rochdale Town Hall<br />

INFO: s.co<strong>op</strong>/22h9h<br />

7–9 Nov: Who Owns the World?<br />

The State of Platform <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong>erativism<br />

Who Owns the World? is about building<br />

connections between communities,<br />

established co-<strong>op</strong>s, incubators, co-<strong>op</strong><br />

banks, unions, foundations, researchers,<br />

so they can find much-needed support,<br />

and learn from each other.<br />

WHERE: The New School, New York<br />

INFO: s.co<strong>op</strong>/23rdh<br />

50 | OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong>


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