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In the 1840s, Britain was facing dire circumstances with poor sanitation, expensive and low-quality food, and overcrowded housing. With the looming threat of another epidemic after cholera had already claimed 50,000 lives in the UK, the economic situation was dire, leading to starvation in certain areas. Recognizing the need for change, a group of 28 artisans and cotton weavers from Rochdale came together to form a co-operative society to provide their community with affordable and unadulterated food.
The Rochdale Pioneers, as they came to be known, set out to not only provide food but also to uplift the working-class community by creating opportunities for a better quality of life. They established the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, the first successful co-operative of its time, starting with a small grocery shop selling essential items and sharing profits among the member-owners. This marked the beginning of the co-operative movement, which spread rapidly across Britain by the end of the 19th century, with an estimated 1 million members in 1,400 co-ops.
Today, the co-operative model continues to thrive globally, with approximately 3 million co-ops and 1.2 billion members worldwide, representing over an eighth of the world’s population. These businesses employ around 280 million people, equivalent to 10% of the global workforce. The International Co-operative Alliance, established in London in 1895, has worked to unite the global co-op community and promote the values of cooperation and mutual benefit.
Shared Interest, a UK-based social lender, exemplifies the principles of cooperation by supporting farmers and artisan producers in 47 countries worldwide. By providing financial assistance to smallholder communities, Shared Interest aims to break the cycle of poverty and empower farmers to improve their quality of life. Through the formation of co-operatives, these communities can work together effectively, benefiting from collective resources and a unified voice in the market. Fairtrade certification further enhances the support for producers, enabling them to invest in essential infrastructure and build resilience against climate change
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