Cooperative Movement and Adjustment to Climate Change

The International Day of Cooperatives is usually celebrated every first Saturday in July. This commemoration date was approved by UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/47/90 of 16 December 1992.

The pioneers in the development of the cooperative movement are considered to be the British, namely, a group of weavers from Rochdale, who founded the first consumer cooperative in 1844. Fifty years later, the International Cooperative Union was established in London, which later became a non-governmental organization that worked closely with the UN. In 1995, the centenary of its heir, the International Cooperative Association was celebrated.

Thus, this Day unites members of various types of associations based on vocational affiliation, e.g. farmers and agricultural dwellers, consumers, credit/loan receivers, creative folk like handcraft and artwork artisans, as well as people drawn together by common interests like shareholders of shared-equity construction of houses and country cottages, gardeners, etc. 

In Latin, “cooperation” means partnership. Therefore, cooperation is hallmarked by such values as mutual assistance, solidarity, responsibility and justice.

Cooperatives for Climate Action was chosen as this year's topic to address this issue, and to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on Climate Action. 

Climate change severely impacts people’s livelihoods around the world, especially the most disadvantaged groups such as small-scale farmers, large families, migrants, indigenous peoples and others who have to cope with extreme weather events, natural disasters and degradation of natural resources. 

In rural areas, cooperatives also play an important role to strengthen the capacities of their members in a variety of areas, including the use of sustainable production and processing practices, entrepreneurial and business management skills.

Cooperatives enhance capacities of their members and facilitate their access to knowledge and information services, including through digital media, on issues such as value chains’ optimisation; improving resilience and climate change adaptation through community-based early warning systems; and supporting extension and advisory services for innovation.

The history of the cooperative movement in Russia is no less abundant in events. The first consumer cooperatives were established in 1831. Today, the cooperative movement in the Russian Federation extends to the areas of production and consumption, uniting millions of participants and contributing to the country's economic development, improving the wellbeing of its population and assisting in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Facts & Figures  

• Over 12 percent of humanity is part of one or another of the 3 million cooperatives in the world;
• The largest 300 cooperatives and mutuals report a total annual capital turnover of $ 2,034.98 billion;
• Cooperatives employ 280 million people across the globe (10 percent of the world’s employed population). 

Additional information on The International Day of Cooperatives could be found here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/cooperatives-day