ABSTRACT
The cooperative movement remains one of the most transformative innovations in human social history. It represents a pragmatic approach to addressing inequality and exclusion. The cooperative movement is guided by collectivity, prioritising welfare and community over profit (Zoller, 2025). Demonstrating the principles of solidarity and values of democracy, equality, and mutual aid, cooperatives have been, and continue to be, vehicles for livelihoods and community empowerment (Bokoumbo et al., 2023; Okem and Stanton, 2016; International Cooperative Alliance [ICA], n.d). The cooperative idea traces its origins to the 19th century. The first modern cooperatives were established in response to the economic exploitation of the workers during the inception of capitalism (Manioudis and Yiardoglou, 2024). They offer a different kind of organisation, one that challenges the usual top-down, profit-driven systems. Cooperatives focus on shared ownership and democratic decision-making. In a world where inequality is growing, the environment is under threat, and governments often fail to meet people’s needs, the cooperative model provides a more humane and inclusive path to development. It puts people, not profit, at the centre. This approach reflects what economist Karl Polanyi called the “re-embedding” of the economy, bringing economic activities back into harmony with social values and the natural environment, which lies at the heart of the cooperative idea (Roy et al., 2021).
