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Cooperatives



A cooperative is a nonprofit organization composed of volunteers that provide social, cultural, economic, and educational services to members of the community. Its goal is to improve living standards, overcome shared challenges, and encourage positive change.

In Germany, a quarter of the population is members of cooperatives, which include 90 percent of its bakers and butchers, as well as its farmers and craftspeople.

In the middle of the 19th century, two men independently founded credit cooperatives that could be traced back to this idea: Franz Hermann Schulze-Delitzsch and Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen. By extending microloans on favorable terms, they helped farmers regain their independence, at a time when social hardship was intensifying as a result of industrialization and migration to the towns.

Cooperatives are based on the principle of subsidiarity. Subsidiarity emphasizes personal responsibility before government action and allows the community to grow through sharing the common interests and values of its members. They help to support seniors, generates jobs, and come up with innovative solutions to societal problems.

A range of people can join, with members able to participate in the association's future and purchase shares. Low-interest loans are available to farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs. Due to their value orientation and democratic decision-making process, cooperatives are different from limited liability companies and joint-stock companies.

Some cooperatives are specifically set up for students to gain knowledge and experience in the industry. Cooperatives, universities and federations such as the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation, the Akademie Deutschen Genossenschaften, Hermann-Schulze-Delitzsch Society, and Friedrich-Wilhelm-Raiffeisen Society transmit knowledge and skills.

Germany's Deutsche Gesellschaft for International Cooperation (GIZ), working in partnership with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supports agricultural cooperatives in developing countries and emerging economies.

One of many successful cooperatives is Akkain Ouargane, an argan oil cooperative in southwest Morocco that has worked with women to produce and market argan oil. Previously, men would sell it by the roadside; now it's a profitable export product.

As a tradition since 1923, the International Day of Cooperatives takes place on the first Saturday in July. In 2015, it was celebrated on 4 July as a way to promote the value of solidarity, economic efficiency, and equality.


A cooperative is a nonprofit organization composed of volunteers that provide social, cultural, economic, and educational services to members of the community. Its goal is to improve living standards, overcome shared challenges, and encourage positive change.

The German population is made up of around a quarter of cooperatives, which include 90 percent of its bakers and butchers, as well as its farmers and craftspeople

In the middle of the 19th century, two men independently founded credit cooperatives that could be traced back to this idea: Franz Hermann Schulze-Delitzsch and Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen. By extending microloans on favorable terms, they helped farmers regain their independence, at a time when social hardship was intensifying as a result of industrialization and migration to the towns.

Cooperatives are based on the principle of subsidiarity. Subsidiarity emphasizes personal responsibility before government action and allows the community to grow through sharing the common interests and values of its members. It helps to support seniors, generates jobs, and comes up with innovative solutions to societal problems.

A wide range of people can join, with members able to participate in the association's future and purchase shares of the association. Low-interest loans are available to farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs. Due to their value orientation and democratic decision-making process, cooperatives are different from limited liability companies and joint-stock companies. . About 75 percent of the companies are cooperatives. Some cooperatives are specifically set up for students to gain knowledge and experience in the industry. Cooperatives, universities and federations such as the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation, the Akademie Deutschen Genossenschaften, Hermann-Schulze-Delitzsch Society, and Friedrich-Wilhelm-Raiffeisen Society transmit knowledge and skills.

A cooperative economic model is a successful one in Germany and around the world. There are approximately 800 million members of cooperatives in over 100 countries, and these cooperatives support 100 million jobs.

Germany's Deutsche Gesellschaft for International Cooperation (GIZ), working in partnership with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supports agricultural cooperatives in developing countries and emerging economies. One of many successful cooperatives is Akkain Ouargane, an argan oil cooperative in southwest Morocco that has worked with women to produce and market argan oil. Previously, men would sell it by the roadside; now it's a profitable export product.

As a tradition since 1923, the International Day of Cooperatives takes place on the first Saturday in July. In 2015, it will be celebrated on 4 July as a way to promote the value of solidarity, economic efficiency, and equality.

References

(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/idea-and-practice-of-organizing-shared-interests-in-cooperatives-01200) (https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/life/society-integration/cooperatives-in-germany) (https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/business/cooperatives-examples-from-germany-and-around-the-world) (https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/life/society-integration/cooperatives-in-germany) |Subject=Verbal Arts and Literature |Country=Germany |SDG=(01) No Poverty, (04) Quality Education, (08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (09) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, (16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions }}

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