The global co-operative and mutual sectors have continued to grow, with the total turnover of the largest 300 co-operatives increasing from USD $2,205.70bn in 2012 to USD $2,360.05bn in 2013.
The fourth edition of the World Co-operative Monitor has been released. The findings were presented at the International Co-operative Alliance’s Global Conference in Antalya by Gianluca Salvatori, the chief executive for the European Research Institute on Cooperatives and Social Economy (Euricse). The Monitor is produced in partnership between the Alliance and Euricse collecting and analysing economic and social data on co-operatives.
This year’s Monitor looks at data from 2013 and the overall database this year exceeds all past editions reaching 2,829 co-operatives from 76 countries with a total turnover of USD $2,950.82bn. It was compiled from existing rankings and lists, data from researchers and organisations, and data submitted directly by organisations through the World Co-operative Monitor questionnaire. The survey was completed by 200 co-operatives from 54 countries.
As well as providing analysis by sector, using the data, the report identifies the Top 300 co-operatives, mutual organisations and non-co-operative enterprises controlled by co-operatives. The average turnover of the Top 300 has increased by USD $0.52bn to USD $7.87bn in 2013 from USD $7.35bn in 2012 and the value of the turnover of the 300th co-operative has increased to USD $1.47bn in the 2013 ranking from USD $1.26bn in that of 2012.
For 2013, the Top 300 were spread over 25 countries, with 40% based in the insurance sector, 32% in agriculture and food industries, and 17% in wholesale and retail trade. Based on turnover, the top co-operative in 2013 was for the fourth year in a row, Japanese-based Zenkyoren, an insurer, with a total output of USD $63,34bn.
At the Global Conference Mr Salvatori told delegates that it is time for co-operatives to “become leaders rather than followers”. He said: “The numbers we present, the rankings we develop, do not show the extraordinary capacity the co-operative movement has to interpret social change.
“It’s no longer enough to show that co-ops perform as well as shareholder companies, we need to focus on what makes us different. We have to become the benchmark for others. Other companies need to measure through indicators of social impact. But, we need to do this before social impact becomes a logic we don’t agree with.
“Let’s use the potential of the World Co-op Monitor to show the difference of the co-operative model. Let’s not limit ourselves to compete.”
