Co-op News - March 2021

The world's co-ops face up to
the challenges of inequality
CONNECTING, CHAMPIONING AND
CHALLENGING THE GLOBAL CO-OP
MOVEMENT SINCE 1871
Holyoake House, Hanover Street,
Manchester M60 OAS
(00) 44 161214 0870
www.thenews.coop
editorial@thenews.coop
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Rebecca Harvey I rebecca@thenews.coop
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR
Anca Voinea I anca@thenews.coop
DIGITAL EDITOR
Miles Hadfield I miles@thenews.coop
DESIGN
Keir Mucklestone-Barnett
DIRECTORS
Barbara Rainford (chair); Elaine Dean
(vice-chair); Harry Cairney; Sofygil
Crew; Tim Hartley; Phil Hartwell;
Gillian Lonergan; Beverley Perkins;
Shaz Rahman; Lesley Reznicek
Secretary: Richard Bickle
Established in 1871, Co-operative
News is published by Co-operative
Press Ltd, a registered society under
the Co-operative and Community
Benefit Society Act 2014. It is printed
every month by Buxton Press, Palace
Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE.
Membership of Co-operative Press is
open to individual readers as well as
to other co-operatives, corporate bodies
and unincorporated organisations.
The Co-operative News mission
statement is to connect, champion
and challenge the global co-operative
movement, through fair and objective
journalism and open and honest
comment and debate. Co-op News
is, on occasion, supported by co-ops,
but final editorial control remains with
Co-operative News unless specifically
labelled 'advertorial'. The information
and views set out in opinion articles
and letters do not necessarily reflect
the opinion of Co-operative News.
W @coopnews f cooperativenews
The world has been rocked by two global crises in rapid succession - it was still
coming to terms with the financial crash of 2008 when Covid-19 hit. These events
have worsened inequalities which were already systemic - between regions,
between races, between genders, between age groups. It's not surprising that we're
also seeing global movements to counter those inequalities - from the Me Too
campaign to Black Lives Matter and the youth-led Extinction Rebellion.
Equality is intrinsic to the co-op values and principles: so how is the movement
responding to the changes sweeping the world? This month we look at just some
of the steps being taken. In Britain, targets have been set by Co-operatives UK and
the Co-op Group to improve diversity at all levels (p28-29), and the movement
has stepped up its efforts to bring food justice to those going hungry during the
pandemic (p32-33).
We also look work at work being done by a number of co-op and credit union
organisations in the USA to drive inclusion and economic empowerment (p30-31),
and how the Fairtrade movement is planning to deal with new challenges to its
efforts to equalise trading arrangements for producers in the global south
(p34-35).
On gender, efforts are being made to increase participation in energy co-ops,
which will hopefully give new impetus to the transition to renewables (p36-37).
We also catch up on some of the converstions being made to improve the position
of women in the global co-op movement (p 38-39).
For the future of the co-op movement it's vital to bring in a new generation of cooperators;
this month we hear from three young voices: Sylandi Brown, who is
active in the US electric co-op movement and has been chosen as one of its 25
young voices by the International Co-operative Alliance (p42-43); and newly
elected Central England Co-operative directors Brad Tuckfield and Jody Meakin
(p40-41).
We also speak with Brian Branch as he prepares for a well-earned retirement from
the helm of the World Council of Credit Unions - we wish him all the best for his
future and thank him for his sterling work (p44-45).
There's a report from the SAOS conference where Scottish farm co-ops look to
the opportunities brought by tech in a world changed by Brexit, Covid-19 and the
climate crisis (p 26-27), while historian Natalie Bradbury looks at pioneering coop
journalist Annie Bamford Tomlinson, as part of our 150th anniversary series.
MILES HADFIELD - DIGITAL EDITOR
Co-operative News is printed using vegetable oil-based
inks on 80% recycled paper (with 60% from post-consumer
waste) with the remaining 20% produced from FSC or PEFC
certified sources. It is made in a totally chlorine free process.
MARCH 2021 I 3