ABSTRACT
Since 1975 the co-operative movement has continued to face challenges and opportunities. The end of postwar prosperity saw the collapse of consumer co-operative movements in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. There had been a trend towards the demutualization of agricultural co-operatives and the rise of neo-liberalism challenged the mutuality on which co-operatives were based. Financial co-operatives, such as credit unions, continued to grow and food co-operatives built around organic and local food movements developed in Europe and North America. The Mondragon model of worker co-operatives attracted considerable interest in the USA where it has been the basis for reviving ‘rust-belt’ economies. An interest in social co-operatives has also developed. The UN highlighted co-operatives as a significant business model, particularly in relation to economic and social development, by declaring 2012 the International Year of Co-operatives.
