Coop News January 2022
The January edition of Co-op News: connecting, challenging and championing the global co-operative movement. This issue features our coverage of the World Cooperative Congress, held in Seoul, South Korea, in December 2021. Organised by the International Cooperative Alliance, the event saw fascinating discussion of the Cooperative Identity, with contributors from around the world looking at how the movement can deliver a more sustainable, democratic and equitable future. There's also a look at the latest edition of the World Cooperative Monitor and other news from the movement, including a debate on the co-op sector by UK MPs and rejection by LV= members of the insurer's sale and demutualisation
The January edition of Co-op News: connecting, challenging and championing the global co-operative movement. This issue features our coverage of the World Cooperative Congress, held in Seoul, South Korea, in December 2021. Organised by the International Cooperative Alliance, the event saw fascinating discussion of the Cooperative Identity, with contributors from around the world looking at how the movement can deliver a more sustainable, democratic and equitable future. There's also a look at the latest edition of the World Cooperative Monitor and other news from the movement, including a debate on the co-op sector by UK MPs and rejection by LV= members of the insurer's sale and demutualisation
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THIS ISSUE<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:<br />
MPs call on Treasury minister to support<br />
co-ops (p6-7); Glanbia Co-op to take full<br />
ownership of Glanbia Ireland (p16); Global<br />
youth launch cooperative toolkit (p26-27);<br />
South Korean president addresses Congress<br />
delegates in Seoul (p30-31); SEWA founder<br />
Ela Bhatt's keynote speech at Congress (p38)<br />
24-25 INTERVIEW: ARIEL GUARCO<br />
The ICA President gives his views on the<br />
World <strong>Coop</strong>erative Congress<br />
26-27 SUMMARY: PRE-CONGRESS<br />
EVENTS<br />
28-29 SUMMARY: RESEARCH<br />
CONFERENCE AND LAW FORUM<br />
30-31 MOON JAE-IN OPENS CONGRESS<br />
The President of the Republic of Korea<br />
opens the World <strong>Coop</strong>erative Congress<br />
32-33 EXAMINING OUR COOPERATIVE<br />
IDENTITY<br />
A call on co-operatives to work together to<br />
share knowledge and information<br />
34 GUY RYDER, ILO DIRECTOR GENERAL<br />
'Co-operatives must be seen as critical<br />
partners in the long term'<br />
39-41 COMMITTING TO OUR<br />
COOPERATIVE IDENTITY<br />
Tackling global problems through fairness,<br />
inclusion and innovation<br />
42-44 LIVING OUR COOPERATIVE<br />
IDENTITY<br />
How do co-operatives offer effective<br />
approaches to living sustainably?<br />
45-46 HISTORIC GLOBAL ROUND TABLE<br />
Governmental authorities meet to discuss<br />
the promotion of co-operatives<br />
47 CLOSING CEREMONY<br />
'Congress marked just the beginning of a<br />
dialogue on the co-operative identity'<br />
48-49 INTERVIEW: ROB HARRISON<br />
35-37 STRENGTHENING OUR<br />
COOPERATIVE IDENTITY<br />
How can the co-operative identity be a<br />
COVER: Congress special competitive advantage?<br />
Delegates met in Seoul, Republic<br />
of Korea, and on line for the 33rd 38 ELA BHATT<br />
World <strong>Coop</strong>erative Congress The SEWA founder on a new economy of<br />
Read more: from p24 nurturers based on 100 mile communities<br />
REGULARS<br />
5-13<br />
14-21<br />
22<br />
22-23<br />
UK news<br />
Global news<br />
Letters<br />
Obituaries<br />
50 Events<br />
4 I JANUARY <strong>2022</strong>
us navigate what was a difficult time making<br />
publishing work."<br />
Things have come a long way since 1989<br />
and Ethical Consumer has played a key role in<br />
raising awareness, campaigning and advising<br />
businesses. As more and more businesses<br />
started to look at acting ethically in markets, the<br />
need for education and training on the topic also<br />
increased.<br />
Mr Harrison's latest book, The Handbook of<br />
Ethical Purchasing: Principles and Practice,<br />
aims to help businesses operate ethically. The<br />
book covers a range of issues, from how to set<br />
up ethical supply chains to how to sell to ethical<br />
consumers. It also includes practical examples,<br />
some of these from the co-op sector.<br />
"The co-op movement itself has played a role<br />
in nurturing the creation of this book," adds<br />
Mr Harrison, explaining that the book could be<br />
useful to those running or managing a co-op.<br />
"Although the co-op movement has Principle<br />
Six (co-operation among co-ops) which<br />
encourages buying from other co-ops, we know<br />
that co-operatives do actually think a lot more<br />
about their supply chains than just this."<br />
The book touches on the link between co-ops<br />
and the support for the fair trade movement in<br />
some European countries.<br />
Co-ops have helped to increase the market<br />
share of Fairtrade products, particularly in<br />
now the more mature ethical markets, where<br />
sometimes S0o/o of all products are Fairtrade,<br />
such as bananas in Switzerland.<br />
Co-ops are also mentioned in the book in the<br />
context of their business model.<br />
"They're not always trying to maximise their<br />
profitability. So they're often quite good at<br />
incorporating ethical issues, because they're not<br />
always thinking 'I need to pay the shareholders',"<br />
he says.<br />
Mr Harrison thinks co-ops and other<br />
businesses should also measure and track the<br />
positive impact they have on supply chains on<br />
a regular basis: "It's about talking about the<br />
positive impacts you can do from purchasing if<br />
you get it right".<br />
He adds: "We worry a lot about palm oil,<br />
modern slavery and child labour, and all<br />
those things that are part of the current<br />
ethical consumption discourse. If as a<br />
business your supply chain is ethical, then<br />
you need to measure the impacts of that<br />
because sometimes institutions forget why<br />
they're doing something - because everyone's<br />
always measuring the bottom line, which<br />
is money.<br />
"When someone comes in and says, 'Oh, we<br />
could cut the cost here', if you're not measuring<br />
your positive social impacts as well, then when<br />
pressure to cut costs does come along, you<br />
haven't always got concrete arguments to why<br />
that might not be such a good idea. So I'm really<br />
into encouraging buyers to measure and record<br />
their positive social impact."<br />
As to where ethical businesses will be<br />
in 10 years, he thinks it will become even<br />
more mainstream as climate change will put<br />
increasing pressure on businesses to operate in<br />
a more environmentally friendly manner.<br />
"The advantage that co-ops have is not having<br />
that shareholder primacy," says Mr Harrison.<br />
"This gives them the edge because it really is<br />
unhelpful to have a single minded focus on<br />
profit if you're trying to run an ethical business."<br />
The Handbook of Ethical Purchasing:<br />
Principles and Practice can be bought online<br />
at rout/edge.com<br />
Rob Harrison,<br />
Co-founder of Ethical<br />
Consumer<br />
JANUARY <strong>2022</strong> I 49
Do you have a co-operative<br />
event - taking place in<br />
person, online, or as a<br />
hybrid - to be featured?<br />
Tell us at:<br />
events@thenews.coop<br />
Webinar: The Co-ops Revolution: History<br />
of <strong>Coop</strong>erative Housing in New York<br />
27 December (full replay available for one<br />
week)<br />
(Online)<br />
When co-operative housing debuted<br />
in New York in 1881, it was called a<br />
"revolution" - after all, the idea that<br />
people could not only live in apartments,<br />
but also have a say in their residential<br />
buildings' policies and politics, was a<br />
novel one. This webinar by the New York<br />
Adventure Club is led by writer, historian,<br />
and New York City tour guide Lucie Levine.<br />
c-:> bit.ly/3H2Q3ed<br />
Basics of Platform <strong>Coop</strong>erativism<br />
23 <strong>January</strong> (multiple dates available)<br />
(Online)<br />
Organised by the Ledgerback Digital<br />
Commons Research <strong>Coop</strong>erative, this<br />
introduction to platform co-operativism<br />
will cover platform ecosystems, with a focus<br />
on platform governance, co-operatives as<br />
an institutional form, extractive business<br />
models, and a short overview of platform<br />
co-operatives and digital labour issues.<br />
This session will last about two hours.<br />
c-:> bit.ly/3GXSm1X<br />
Co-operative Retail Conference <strong>2022</strong><br />
11-13 March<br />
(In-person, Wychwood Park Hotel, Crewe)<br />
The Co-operative Retail Conference is the<br />
only annual event designed specifically<br />
for co-operative retailers. It attracts over<br />
80 leaders, managers and directors of<br />
consumer owned retail co-operatives<br />
from right across the UK. With a global<br />
pandemic, uncertain times ahead and<br />
a tough economic climate we remain<br />
in challenging times. The Co-operative<br />
Retail Conference represents a unique<br />
opportunity for those involved in cooperative<br />
retail to learn from experts,<br />
meet with peers and discuss how their<br />
businesses are responding to challenges.<br />
With keynote presentations from industry<br />
specialists and best practice from retailers,<br />
the conference is an unrivalled learning<br />
and networking opportunity.<br />
bit.ly/3pb623y<br />
Decent Work and Democracy<br />
20-21 May <strong>2022</strong><br />
(In-person, Wortley Hall, Nr. Sheffield)<br />
A conference on union co-ops, with<br />
discussions on: What can union activists<br />
do to fight for decent work and democracy?<br />
How can workers get control over our daily<br />
working lives? What can we do to promote<br />
democracy in the workplace? Do we have<br />
to accept the gig economy and precarity?<br />
And more.<br />
c-:> Email: unioncoopsuk@gmail.com<br />
ICA General Assembly <strong>2022</strong><br />
20 June <strong>2022</strong><br />
(In-person, Seville, Spain)<br />
The event will be hosted by the Spanish<br />
Confederation of Worker <strong>Coop</strong>eratives<br />
(COCETA) and include the election of the<br />
ICA Presidency and Board of Directors<br />
C-:> bit.ly/3DVpypZ<br />
Playground for the New Economy Festival<br />
12-14 July<br />
Selgars Mill, Devon<br />
Stir to Action's Playground for the New<br />
Economy Festival takes place in July at<br />
the New Economy Centre at Selgars Mill.<br />
In 2021, 200 people joined the festival<br />
for a unique three days of provocative<br />
conversations, live podcasts, interactive<br />
workshops, idea surgeries, sustainable<br />
food, wood-fired sauna, games, craft beer,<br />
and live music. The <strong>2022</strong> line-up will be<br />
announced early in the year.<br />
C-:> stirtoaction.com/festiva/<br />
50 I JANUARY <strong>2022</strong>