Did you know that cooperatives provide over 100 million jobs around the world? That’s 20 per cent more than what multinational corporations offer.

Yes, the cooperative movement has been growing, and producer cooperatives in particular are being pointed to as a bright spot in the global food picture. The chosen theme of World Food Day (16 October) this year is “Agricultural Cooperatives – Key to Feeding the World.”

The cooperative idea is spreading, but a lot of people still don’t know what a cooperative really is. In a nutshell, it is a group of people who voluntarily work together for their mutual benefit. Cooperatives have been called “the business model with a conscience.” A cooperative balances two main goals:

1.    pursuing profit in a sustainable way

2.    satisfying members’ needs and aspirations.

In many countries, cooperatives are primarily agricultural. Agricultural cooperatives share tools, heavy machinery, seeds and labour, among other necessities. They also share their harvest and their profit among the cooperative members.

In the United States, cooperatives control about 80 per cent of dairy production. In Brazil, they account for 40 per cent of the country’s agricultural GDP. And in Kenya, cooperatives have cornered 95 per cent of the cotton market.

Accumulated research shows that while small farmers acting alone were not able to take advantage of market opportunities (higher food prices), small farmers acting collectively succeeded. What makes cooperatives so effective? It amounts to team work, bargaining power, and economies of scale. When you work together, you can achieve things that would otherwise be impossible.

Have something to say about food producer cooperatives? Join the discussion on EndingHunger Facebook and Twitter. Looking for a way to celebrate World Food Day?  Think about supporting co-ops in your area.