cooperatie

A coöperatie (cooperatie) is a member-owned and member-controlled organization that aims to meet the common economic, social, and cultural needs of its members through a jointly run enterprise. The core principle is democratic governance: each member typically has one vote, regardless of the size of their stake, and control is exercised through elected representatives at an annual general meeting.

Cooperatives come in several forms, including consumer co-operatives that provide goods and services to members, worker co-operatives owned by employees, producer or agricultural co-operatives that pool resources for processing and marketing, and multi-stakeholder co-operatives that combine different groups of members. Capital is raised from members, but profits are allocated to members based on use (patronage) or reinvested in the business, rather than distributed according to the size of the investment.

Governance is designed to be participatory: a board of directors elected by the membership oversees management, while the general meeting approves major decisions and annual accounts. Cooperatives generally emphasize autonomy and independence, with statutes that specify membership rules, capital structure, and distributions. They are typically regulated by specific cooperative or corporate laws and may follow internationally recognized cooperative principles, such as voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, economic participation, education, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for the community (often linked to the Rochdale Principles).

Cooperatives operate worldwide across sectors such as retail, finance (credit unions), agriculture, housing, and energy. They are valued for combining economic viability with member welfare, local involvement, and resilience, though they face challenges such as access to capital, governance complexity, and competition with investor-owned firms.