The importance of the World Co-operative Monitor cannot be overstated. Not only is it a crucial tool, which we can use to raise the profile of co-operatives to policy-makers and industry professionals, but it also provides an essential starting point for researchers and academics. The 2015 edition reports a 6.9% increase in the figures for the world's 300 largest co-operative and mutual businesses and is a great tribute to the growing strength of our sector.
These figures are based on the 2013 results, and represent the fourth year in a row of consistent growth, i.e. from 2010 to 2013 - years in which the financial collapse and global recession still dominated. This is a remarkable achievement for a model of business that is not present on the world's stock markets and is often invisible to the economic commentators and political leaders. Co-operatives have been given a valuable tool to demonstrate how key our enterprise model is.
Importantly, the 2016 survey is being expanded to include a review of co-operative capital, examining the financial structure of co-operatives. This new data will allow co-operatives to benchmark themselves against leading co-operatives and makes the Monitor an even more valuable resource for the co-operative community.
The findings from the survey will be presented during the International Summit in Quebec this year. Please take the short amount of time needed to enter your co-operative's details for the 2016 edition of the Monitor. Federations and supporters of co-operatives are encouraged to mobilise the co-operatives in their membership and network to complete the survey. The 2016 survey is available in many different languages online:
http://survey.euricse.eu/index.php/91227/lang-en
If you wish to receive the survey by email or an Excel sheet in order to input data on many co-operatives, please contact Ilana Gotz at ilana.gotz@euricse.eu.
We thank you in advance for your assistance in completing this very important project.
