The Statement on the Cooperative Identity includes definitions, values, and principles intended to guide cooperative organisations. It states that a cooperative is an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
Cooperatives adapt and change as the world changes, and the needs and aspirations of their members vary. Therefore, it is important to discuss how cooperatives can use their identity to remain relevant in the future.
This working group's objective is to analyse areas that give the cooperative business model a competitive advantage over other business models. It will make recommendations on how cooperatives can leverage their identity, values, and principles while developing robust business strategies and marketing their products and services. They will also elaborate on how these two concepts of cooperative identity and competitive advantage can be managed and reinforce the entrepreneurial aspect of cooperatives.
