Co-operative News - Producer or Worker

Co-operatives create 8,000 new jobs while unemployment hits record in Spain

Anca — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 09:04:32 +0000

At a time when more then six million people are unemployed across Spain, co-operatives have managed to not only maintain, but also increase the number of jobs by 7.2 percent in the third quarter of 2012.

By contrast, the unemployment rate in Spain has reached 27.2 per cent, the highest since 1976. Although it has recently slowed, the unemployment rate has continued to increase ever since the crisis emerged in 2008. In mid-2007 the rate reached 7.9 percent.

Figures released by the Spanish Ministry for Employment confirm that co-operatives have created 8,000 new jobs in the first half of 2012.

According to the Spanish Confederation of Workers Co-operatives (COCETA), employment figures in worker co-operatives doubled in the first half of 2012, compared to the previous year. More than 250,000 people work in 17,000 co-operatives.

Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of COCETA, said: “This clearly shows that worker co-operatives are an important option when it comes to creating jobs that governments should value in order to help local economies.”

Mr Pedreño also said that social economy enterprises are the best example of job creation: “We continue to argue that this is always the case, but that during crisis co-operatives show they are capable to create new jobs, while other enterprise models are destroying them; and this happens even though co-ops do not enjoy the same access to finance”.

Following on from the growth of co-operatives, the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security has joined efforts with the Spanish Enterprise Confederation of the Social Economy (CEPES) to launch a strategy to boost entrepreneurship and youth employment. Last week, CEPES agreed to play a key role in the implementation of the three-year strategy.

More than half of young people aged under 25 seeking employment cannot find a job and more than 35 per cent of young people currently unemployed have been in this situation for over a year.

Co-operatives are a key element in this strategy; the Ministry is seeking to encourage more young people to start their own social enterprises and co-operatives. With this strategy, unemployment benefits may be used to make a capital contribution to any type of newly created business, included co-operatives. Adopted in February, the strategy has already generated 20,454 jobs for young people across Spain, who are now registered as self-employed.

The strategy acknowledges that co-operatives have shown a greater ability to maintain employment during the years of economic crisis due to their internal flexibility mechanisms.

The best example is the case of Mondragon Corporation, which is employing 83,000 people. The corporation has coped relatively well with the financial and economic crisis. Mutual support and joint action as well as an efficient crisis management through support institutions and business-to-business co-operation were key elements to Mondragon’s successful approach to the crisis.

Mikel Lezamiz, Mondragon’s Co-operative Development Manager, explained why Mondragon's policies have been successful: “We are passing cash within co-ops in order to solve the lack of liquidity. We are also buying together. Inter-co-operation is the most important feature of Mondragon.”

Mondragon has also passed workers from some co-ops to others in order to avoid making staff redundant. Since workers or employees are directly involved in the decision making, it is less likely for them to cut jobs, said Mr Lezamiz.

According to COCETA, 80 per cent of those that form a co-operative have a permanent job, because they become members of that co-operative.

Pope Francis: His fight against social injustice and human exploitation in Argentina

Anca — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:35:12 +0000

Latin America's first Pope is a strong supporter of co-operatives, who helped the Argentina movement fight against corruption, human trafficking and exploitation.

As the former Cardinal of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis, called for co-operation in many his sermons, encouraging people to think of the common good, rather than simply their personal fulfilment.

While he had the role of archbishop, he was very much "close to the people", according to the Catholic Herald, which said he was known simply as 'Father Jorge' who visited the poor, used public transport and lived in a simple apartment where he cooked his own meals.

During his time in Argentina, the former Cardinal was a strong supporter of worker co-operatives, which helped to rescue the country from economic collapse during 2002. One particular co-operative associated with the new Pope is Mundo Alameda, a small textile business in Buenos Aires. (The co-operative's members expressed wide-spread support for the new pontiff on the co-operative's official blog.)

Mundo Alemeda is a part of a wider co-op movement that was started in the 2002 financial collapse with the creation of a textile worker co-operative called “20 of December”. The co-op emerged at a time when Argentina was faced with an unemployment rate of 25 per cent and more than 60 per cent of its population were below the poverty level.

“20 of December” fights for a decent working environment and campaigned against slavery and human trafficking. Ever since he was appointed Cardinal of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio supported the co-operative, as well as other co-operators from the Movement of Excluded Workers and the pasteboard co-operative El Álamo, which were all actively engaged in promoting decent work.

In an attempt to provide food and jobs for local people, “20 of December” created a community dining room that serves 140 people in the local neighbourhood and produces bread for the community too. The initiative received the endorsement of the Ministry for Social development of the Government of Buenos Aires.

In May 2004 it received financial and technical support from the government and managed to create five successful social enterprises; a bakery, a textile workshop, a craft workshop, a grillroom and a copy center.

Between 2009 and 2011 Jorge Bergoglio officiated various religious ceremonies in the name of the victims of human trafficking and forced labour. Two of these ceremonies took place at Alameda’s premises.

In an interview commemorating the co-op’s tenth anniversary in 2012, the former Cardinal Bergoglio said he was first contacted by Alameda back in 2008. “I realised they were not only interested in these issues, but also working to address them,” he said.

In the video (below in Spanish), the former Cardinal congratulated Alameda for its tenth anniversary and encouraged the co-op to continue to fight against social injustice.

He added that in a culture where people wash their hands, Alameda is trying to make a visible change, by helping to raise awareness over this great problem of human exploitation that exists in Argentina.

Orla Cruz, a dressmaker for Alameda, said she is grateful to Cardinal Bergoglio for having baptised her daughters without asking why they had not been baptised. A Bolivian immigrant, she had been afraid to have her daughters baptised before for fear she might be asked for legal documents. The Cardinal baptised the two girls in Alameda’s premises rather than the church, as their mother requested.

On 4 June 2010, the former Cardinal Bergoglio was also present at the launch of the global brand "No Chains" (Sin Enlaces), which joined together Alameda and 4 other co-ops of South East Asia to fight against forced labour. The initiative aims to start a global campaign against human trafficking and labour exploitation under the slogan "equal pay for equal work".

The National Confederation of Co-operatives of Argentina (Cooperar) welcomed the naming of Cardinal Bergoglio as the new pope.

In a message addressed to Pope Francis I, Ariel Guarco, president of Cooperar, said: “We are delighted to listen to his first manifestations of compromise towards the poor and austerity, principles that can be found in our daily work. We seek to build a society based on values and mutual aid, responsibility, equality, democracy, fairness and solidarity, values that are supported by co-operators from all over the world.

Cooperar also expressed hopes that Pope Francis will have used co-operatives as a means of building a better world, where “the engine will be solidarity” and common good.

Join the campaign to fight for better treatment of women cocoa farmers

Emily Barker — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:11:50 +0000

Oxfam America has launched a campaign to encourage the top three chocolate companies in the world to treat the women who grow and pick the cocoa better.

The petition directed at: Mars, Mondelez and Nestlé asks the companies to offer the women fairer treatment, opportunities for training, and the chance to own the land they work.

To celebrate a chocolate company that does offer its women farmers better opportunities, Oxfam America announced a partnership with Fairtrade chocolate company Divine, which works with many co-operatives, for International Women’s Day.

Erin Gorman, CEO of Divine Chocolate, described her experience of visiting the Kuapa Kokoo co-op in Ghana. She met Christiania Adulsei, a 58-year old cocoa farmer.

She explained: “Christiana, like so many women in cocoa, 'has it all' – all the household duties, the cooking, the cleaning, the farming of foodstuffs. They ensure children go to school and their health is looked after. They farm cocoa and do the drying and fermenting of beans.”

Christiana joined the co-op 11 years ago with her husband, when she realised they were democratic and fair and that farmers received bonuses and a cutlass, which is one of the most tools for cocoa farmers. Unlike many women in Africa, she is a member in her own right.

Eight years ago she started as the secretary to the village recorder, the person elected by the village society to purchase cocoa for Kuapa. She started training farmers to dry and ferment their cocoa properly so that it met Kuapa’s standards of good cocoa.

“I saw that I was a good teacher and that I could keep good records, and I decided that I should become a recorder myself,” Christiana said. At the elections she stood against the recorder, a man, and won. “Kuapa trained me that as a woman I could be a recorder and could be a leader in my society."

Despite having no women’s group in her village, Christiana and the other women in her village still benefit from women’s empowerment trainings offered by Kuapa’s Gender Programme.

The programme, set up in 1998, trains women to take part in co-operative leadership. They learn to generate additional income and can access loans through the local credit union.

The three-pronged approach of building women’s confidence, skills training, and access to credit has hugely shaped Kuapa. Today 30 percent of the members are women farmers and the president of the cooperative is a woman.

Erin added: “We have a long way to go to make policy and practices work for women in small-scale agricultural production. Members like Christiana show us why it’s important to start trying to do more.”

• The Oxfam campaign is encouraging the three main chocolate companies to act more like Divine Chocolate. Click here to join the campaign.

Historical book tells the tale of the co-operative movement's inspiration

Emily Barker — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:19:29 +0000

There are hundreds of historical documents surrounding the revolutionary work done by Robert Owen and his father-in-law David Dale at the New Lanark Mills in Scotland. However for the first time, the human story behind the mills has been told in the historical fiction book: ‘New Lanark - Spinning New Lives,’ which has gone on worldwide release.

Based in the 1780s, the book weaves the stories of the mill workers, plagued by terrible working and living conditions, with the tale of David Dale, the owner, who could not stand by and watch his workers live in such poverty.

David Dale revolutionised the mill by offering education, improved working conditions and better wages to his workers. This went onto inspire a young Robert Owen, known as the father of the modern day co-operative movement, who visited the mills and eventually took them over from Dale.

In a quote from Dale himself, used in the book, he said: “It gives me great pleasure to say, that by proper management and attention, much good instead of evil may be done at cotton mills.”

The book, written by C.A. Hope, tells the story of New Lanark through three main characters: Joe, frantic to save his family from ruin by working in the mills; Fiona, a young girl forced into child labour; and Anne Caroline Dale and her relationship with Owen.

Peppered with quotes from Dale and other important figures of the day, including poet Robert Burns, the story mixes reality with fiction.

The author C.A Hope explained: “Owen’s work touches all our lives, everyday, it has shaped our society. Yet it wasn’t until I started researching that I discovered just how charismatic Owen and Dale must have been as men: friends, husbands, fathers. This is a story of relationships. Taking nothing away from Owen’s achievements, I wanted to give Dale the credit he is due in this first book, Spinning New Lives.”

Dale’s fiercely religious beliefs are also brought to the forefront of the book, it was his Christian beliefs which fuelled his passion to change working conditions.

In a quote, he said: “As mortals on the brink of eternity we are called to hear and believe the Gospel of Christ. Now is the accepted time of our salvation.”

The book depicts the fear of the mill workers when the mill was sold to Robert Owen; many worried about his lack of religion.

The story however has only just begun, in the next book ‘New Lanark – Living with a Visionary’, C.A. Hope continues with the story of Robert Owen, focusing on his journey to social reformer.

‘New Lanark – Spinning New Lives’ is being distributed worldwide and was launched at a candlelit reception in New Lanark. New Lanark is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

• For further details, email Marluc Publishing.

Co-ops help quinoa farmers gain access to the global market

Anca — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:05:25 +0000

Following on from the International Year of Co-operatives, the United Nations has named 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa — and co-operatives are still playing a big part.

A gluten-free, and organic whole grain, quinoa has become more and more popular among Western states, mainly due to its nutritive value.

Sergio Nuñez, founder of Andean Naturals, the largest quinoa importer in the US, said that through the UN’s endorsement quinoa “finally gets the recognition it deserves”. “It is a great year to celebrate that quinoa is currently 95 percent owned by small family farms,” he said.

Mr Nuñez explained that in Bolivia most co-ops and producer associations closely resemble each other. The majority of quinoa producers are grouped into producer associations or co-operatives.

Since the 1952 reforms that followed the Bolivian National Revolution, associations and ethnic groups have been given land ownership. “There is no private ownership in areas where we work,” said Sergio Nunez. He explained how the groups are the ones that own the land, and many of them are Fairtrade certified.

Mr Jhon Garcia, General Manager of APQUISA (Asociación de Productores de Quinua Salinas), a Fairtrade association of 181 members, said it is impossible for small Bolivian producers to gain access to the global market unless they associate.

The increase in demand in Western states for quinoa has also led to an increase in quinoa production. “We have to associate to attend this type of demand,” said Mr Garcia.

On the other hand, the grain-like crop has had a pejorative connotation for the middle and upper Bolivian class, which used to see it as poor people food.

In recent years consumption has decreased among farmers and small producers themselves, as they can now afford to eat other grains.

“In Bolivia, where I was born, middle and upper class don’t eat it; now it’s much more popular because of all its information about nutrition,” said Mr Nuñez.

Quinoa remains the main food source for people across ten areas of Bolivia, but consumption has decreased in recent years. According to Carla Veldhuyzen, Regional Co-ordinator for the Andean Region for Fairtrade International, quinoa consumption per capita has been reduced to ten percent of the population.

There are various issues that could account for the decrease in the internal consumption. A key element is the increase in the price of quinoa; it has tripled from $863 per tonne in 1999 to $3,000 in 2012.

The increase in the price has led to a phenomenon of reverse migration, with people who had left rural areas years ago in search of jobs and opportunities, coming back to their local communities to grow quinoa.

A 2008 study conducted by AUTAPO Foundation revealed that 56 percent of those living in the southern highlights of Bolivia were emigrants or temporal residents. The same study also showed that 94 percent of the overall quinoa production in the Southern Highlands of Bolivia is sold, while only five per cent is consumed by farmers and the remaining one percent is used for seeds.

Sergio Nuñez said that from the producers’ point of view the increase in the price of quinoa is beneficial for Bolivians because it allows them to secure a better life. They can now afford to take their children to school and they have more choice. He explained that in the past “people could not afford much else than quinoa”.

The increase in the price also has some negative aspects. There have been concerns that due to the growing demand in Europe and across the US, poor people in some Bolivian communities can no longer afford to buy it.

“Bolivia is still poor and if you have no source of income, you cannot afford any source of food,” said Sergio Nuñez.

He added: “We don’t want people to think that farmers don’t have quinoa to eat or that they are becoming poorer. They are eating a little less quinoa but they earn enough so that they can supplement it. If they have the money they will want to eat rice or pasta.

“They now make $220. They used to make 35 dollars a month. They can now keep their kids in school. It is not very expensive but finally recognised at its true value. That’s the difference between it’s too expensive and really worth it.”

Some fluctuations in quinoa price are also determined by severe weather conditions which leads to a poor harvest. Thus the price has to go up.

Jhon Garcia said the aim is to increase production to respond to the increase in the demand. However, cultivating more quinoa can also lead to the degradation of soils. Moreover, the increase in production has also led to social conflicts, with people fighting over land.

Mr Nunez said farmers associations and co-ops are currently trying to address all these issues by working with the Bolivian government.

In March 2011, the house of deputies passed the law 680 that established quinoa as a national priority. Through this law the Government aimed to use production and distribution of quinoa as a means to promote and further develop the Bolivian agricultural sector.

President of Bolivia, Evo Morales Ayma, has been named as Special Ambassador for the International Year of Quinoa. Another special ambassador is also the First Lady of Peru, Nadine Heredia.

Producers across Bolivia rely on quinoa to earn their living. The grain-like crop grows in areas where nothing else can be cultivated. Mr Nuñez said that quinoa could be cultivated in other areas across various poor countries, which face the same conditions.

“Quinoa could help to eradicate poverty and improve food security,” said Carla Veldhuyzen. Quinoa is a drought tolerant corp and can be grown in a wide range of soils.

However, Sergio Nuñez explained that should quinoa be commercially cultivated in European countries or across the US, this could reduce the price and have a severe impact on farmers across Bolivia, Peru or Ecuador, highly dependent upon the crop.

Mergers help farmers achieve $1bn income

Emily Barker — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:39:28 +0000

The largest co-op in the US is unknown to most Americans — but it is a critical element of the country’s economy.

CHS Inc. is a farmer-owned co-op headquartered in Inver Grove, Minnesota, just south of St Paul. It was formed in 1998 through a merger of Cenex and Harvest States, both date back to the 1930s. The co-op is owned by 325,000 farmer members – either directly or indirectly, via about 1,100 local co-ops across the US Midwest and Northwest.

In 2012, CHS will for the first time in its history achieve sales of over $40 billion. That places CHS as No.1 on the National Cooperative Bank (NCB) list of the top 100  co-operatives in the USA. Net income for CHS in 2012 was $1.26bn, the first time any US co-op has earned over the $1bn net income mark. In 2012, CHS distributed $421 million in patronage to its co-operative owners.

The history of CHS is an interesting one of multiple mergers of farmer-owned co-operatives over many decades. However, as CHS grew in size its corporate capacity grew in many directions. Today, CHS’s operations span the globe with numerous co-op and non-co-op partnerships in many of the countries where CHS is creating and building markets. Yet at its heart, CHS is still shaped by the original roles of Harvest States, by serving the supply needs and marketing efforts of its grain farmers, and Cenex, by supplying the fuel needs of its farmer members.

CHS is the third-largest US exporter of grain, moving more than one billion bushels of grain to more than 60 countries through its network of elevators and terminals in North and South America, Europe and Asia. The co-op is also a leader in soya bean crushing and refining and is a partner in the nation’s largest wheat milling and durum flour operations. Through its subsidiaries and partnerships, CHS plays a major role in sunflower processing, margarine manufacturing and other foodstuffs. In addition, CHS is engaged in the manufacture of many retail food products.

Cenex supplies 1,600 Cenex-branded gas stations. As the United States’ largest co-operative refiner, CHS produces fuels and lubricants for marketing under the Cenex brand as well as for other businesses. CHS also ranks as the third largest US propane retailer.

Cenex is now the 25th largest chain of convenience stores in the US. Many of the Cenex-branded stores are individually leased by franchisees. Cenex is the sole owner of a 55,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Montana and the majority owner of the 85,000 barrel-a-day National Co-operative Refinery Association in McPherson, Kansas. The McPherson refinery was formally opened in 1943 by a representative of the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS).

CHS’s recent growth has been achieved through creating partnerships within and outside the co-operative sector. It directly employs about 7,000 people in 26 states. However, joint venture partners, franchises and the local member co-operatives account for another 55,000 employees.

To measure the recent growth of CHS, bear in mind that in 2002, the organisation’s revenues had just reached $7.85bn. Ten years later, revenues are at $40bn. Could this growth be a result of unifying disparate individual co-operatives into one strong market player? It is certainly important to study the dynamics of mergers as they impacted the growth of CHS. The creation of CHS as one entity in 2003 perfected the path and the streamlining that the various co-operative organisations had undergone.

Given its growth over the recent decades, CHS has increased influence over the US agricultural co-op sector. Its success has ensured that the farmer’s voice is being heard at the various tables where agricultural policy is discussed. Numerous Senators and Congress Members from “farm states” listen carefully to the issues raised by CHS. Given that CHS plays a daily role in the US rural economy, it is good to know that a strong regional co-operative is well respected for its work at the local and regional level.

Another aspect of CHS is the constructive role played by the CHS Foundation. This supports numerous activities in education and training. Here is its statement: “The CHS Foundation invests in the future of agriculture and rural America through a strong commitment to education and leadership development, rather than, for example, the arts, commercial interests or charity. Funding is program-orientated and is focused on five areas: University Partnerships, Rural Youth Leadership Development, Returning Value to Rural America, Cooperative Education and Farm and Agricultural Safety.”

Hundreds of scholarships are provided annually to high school and university students. Numerous grants support co-operative education and research and university programs that feature programs on co-ops. Throughout the Midwest there are a number of universities that have endowed chairs in co-operatives.

CHS is a unique co-operative that has united over 1,000 local co-ops and 325,000 farming families into a productive powerhouse in US agriculture. CHS’s strategy for success should be avidly studied by all other co-operatives.

16 November: Celebrate Global Worker Co-op Day

AnthonyMurray — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:08:41 +0000

More than 1,000 co-operators, academics and experts will share their experiences and exchange ideas, at the Global Worker Co-operative Day on 16 November.

The day will mark the International Year of Co-operatives through a full day of exchanges, debates and analyses of various aspects of the co-operative movement at the 35 National Congress of French Worker Co-operatives in Marseille (15-16 November).

On the first day of the conference, co-operators will get the chance to look at various issues that French co-operatives are facing. Participants will also get an insight into global co-operative trends, with experts from Spain, Italy, India, Argentina and the USA sharing their views. The debate aims to stimulate ideas on how co-operatives can respond to globalisation.

The Friday afternoon sessions will focus on developing the transfer of business into worker co-operative enterprises, having key speakers from Quebec, Brazil, Italy and France.

Paul Singer, Brazilian Secretary of State for Solidarity Economy and Benoît Hamon, French Deputy Minister of Social and Solidarity Economy, will also be attending the conference, leading a discussion on French-Brazilian exchange on the public policies in favour of worker co-operatives.

Patrick Lenancker, President of the Confederation of French Worker Cooperatives (CG Scop) will deliver the closing address on Friday evening. Participants who wish to explore the beauty of Marseille can join a trip organised by the GC Scop and get to visit Marseille’s beaches, try the traditional food and play regional games. Prices and details will be available soon.

The Global Worker Co-operative Day is an initiative put forward by the French worker co-operatives organisation (CG Scop) and the International Organisation of Industrial, Artisanal and Service Producers’ Co-operatives (CICOPA).

Simultaneous translation in French, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and sign language will be provided in order to enable participants to get fully involved in the debate. Visits to local co-operatives will be organised for international participants.

• For further details on the events, view the programme.

Manchester Co-operatives excited to celebrate Co-operatives United

Emily Barker — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:53:48 +0000

Co-operatives from Manchester shared their excitement for the upcoming Co-operatives United conference in October, at a ‘Meet the Co-ops’ event held this week.

Nine co-operatives including FC United, Unicorn Grocery and Carbon Co-op presented their co-operative story, while attendees sampled food from co-operative outlets such as Handmade Bakery and the Manchester Veg People.

The Manchester co-ops explained how important it was to them to take part in the biggest co-operative event in the world on their doorstep.

Debbie Clarke from Unicorn Grocery said: “It’s really exciting, especially with the Rochdale pioneers and that association with co-operation being rooted in the North of England, it's lovely to see it coming home and being celebrated here.”

“I think tonight has demonstrated just how many co-ops there are in Manchester, in such a wide variety of sectors. Hopefully Co-operatives United will showcase them, as well as all the ones that are coming internationally and across Britain.”

FC United is a co-operative football association attempting to change the way people view football and co-operation. They have recently implemented a new food policy for their games, to help provide local sustainable food at matches.

Phil Frampton, a member of FC United, is looking forward to the opportunities Co-ops United will bring.

He said: “It’s great exposure for us for people all the world to see that Britain also has a reasonably co-operative football movement, because in Germany for example all the leading teams are co-ops, it’s the case mainly in Spain, but here it's just beginning to show what the co-operative movement can do for football.”

He added that their football co-op is “committed to changing the world for young people in Manchester” and it can help inspire young people to change their lives and get involved in co-operation.

Carbon Co-op are about to launch a £250,000 Green Deal pilot in association with Manchester City Council, a people-powered project to reduce carbon emissions and energy bills.

Jonathan Atkinson, from Carbon Co-op, feels Co-ops United is a unique and special event. He said: “Our co-op is all about sharing technologies, sharing understanding, working together to solve these very complex problems that people around the world face so I’m really looking forward to it.”

A fairly recent co-operative, Manchester Veg People, who only started trading in May last year is also excited about the event. Katie Brandon said: “It’s really exciting for a co-op that’s based in Manchester to see everybody coming here to our city, to have so much inspiration and to get loads of tips and meet people.”

The Meet the Co-ops event was the fourth year in a series of events by Unicorn grocery and was organised to celebrate the International Year of Co-operatives.

Debbie Clarke added that she was most looking forward to Co-operation Street at the Co-op United event: “I really like the idea of a town that is made up of co-ops. It’s like living in a little fantasy world. I am quite excited about that.”

The co-operatives speaking at Meet the Co-ops were: the Rochdale Pioneers Museum, the Co-operative College, Handmade Bakery, Unicorn Grocery, Loop Systems Co-op, FC United, Manchester Veg People, Oromo Coffee company, Carbon Co-op and Tree Station.

Event:

Co-operatives United

Citadelle, from a local co-op to a world-leading maple syrup producer

Anca — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:57:29 +0000

Citadelle is the world’s largest supplier of 100 per cent pure maple syrup, and it is also 100 per cent co-operative. The co-op was created in the early 1920s at the urge of Quebec’s agriculture minister, the Honorable Jos.-Edmond Caron, who wanted to address critical problems in the Canadian Maple industry.

Soon afterwards, 17 local maple producers were selected to form a co-operative and by 1925 the co-op “les Producteurs de Sucre d'Érable de Québec” was created. In 1996, the co-op changed its name to “Citadelle Maple Syrup Producers’ Cooperative”. Now Citadelle is a world leading maple-syrup producer and a multiple award-winner for quality and innovation.

The biggest challenge for the Canadian co-op was to make maple syrup more than just a breakfast ingredient, innovation being the key to Citadelle’s long-term strategy.

Citadelle will set up its kiosk at the ICA Expo at Co-operatives United in Manchester at the end of October. Martin Plante, Citadelle’s director of sales, said the co-op is seeking to “contribute to the development of co-op to co-op business on a global scale”.

The producer collects sap from over seven million maple trees across Canada, making the most innovative, all-natural-maple-syrup products. Citadelle maple syrup is completely unrefined, retaining the sap's vitamins and nutrients.

Citadelle also opened its first Canadian Maple Delights Bistro in 1999. Now the bistros, along with the Maple Syrup Museums across Quebec attract more than half a million visitors eager to learn about one of Canada’s oldest products and buy organic gifts such as syrups, vinegars, chocolates, waffles, teas, candies, caramel, gelato, sorbet and a variety of gourmet products.

Citadelle producers pride themselves for being “producers of innovation”. In 2012 the co-op received the Grand Prize in the Trends and Innovation category at the 2012 Canadian Agri-food Export Gala, it also received the Golden Maple Leaf Award of excellence from International Maple Syrup Institute in 2009.

The co-operative has remained faithful to the co-op principles and continues to place a strong emphasis on supporting regional or international activities related to maple and honey production.

In 2008 Citadelle’s pioneering efforts in the industry have been recognised by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, cementing the co-op’s historical significance in Canada. The co-op currently accounts for one third of the maple syrup producers in Quebec.

Global Indigo helps small co-ops make a difference through fair-trading

Anca — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:45:32 +0000

A small community-interest company from Devon makes a real difference to local communities across many developing countries through fair-trading.

A year ago Ella Huffman and Angela Marker, two young graduates from Devon, created Global Indigo that supports small-scale co-operatives fighting causes from around the world.

Unlike many other recent graduates who chose to move to bigger cities, the two founders of Global Indigo stayed in Devon to bring something to the local community. Ella explained how the idea of setting up Global Indigo came about: “A passion for international development and frustrations about fairness in the world of business led us to set up Global Indigo. After many experiences in the developing world, we both shared the desire to make a difference and help to improve the lives of others."

They first started with a small amount of funding of £2000 from Unltd — a charity that supports social enterprises — which enabled them to support their first producers. The two founders currently work part-time on a voluntary basis to develop the business.

“We work across Devon, selling our producers’ wares while raising awareness about ethical trade, global affairs and responsible shopping. We also support local artists. Our personal links to the producers and the leaflets given with each purchase, alongside our awareness-raising sets us apart from other fair-trade shops, and also enables us to connect the customer to the cause."

The two founders of Global Indigo have travelled and volunteered in various developing countries. They have established contacts with small co-operatives in Central and South America, Africa and Asia, all of which produce crafted goods, but struggle to market them alone, due to a lack of access to the right customers or to the internet. This is where Global Indigo intervenes by enabling the small producers to get access to the market. Global Indigo supports eight groups of small producers, which all follow Global Indigo’s Ethical Practice Policy. These co-ops are too small to be fair trade accredited.

“Angela has lived with the Waorani Tribe in Ecuador, who we now support. I also volunteer for a local charity Exeter-Ethiopia Link," said Ella. Global Indigo supports groups and coops from Nepal, Afghanistan, Ecuador, Vietnam, Nicaragua and Kenya and they plan to expand to other countries.

“Unlike most Fairtrade shops, we are not-for-profit, and support groups too small to be accredited. Our groups are spread across the globe and deal with a range of issues: from women’s groups, indigenous producers, and peace fighters, to orphaned children.

“Our ambition is to expand to have a permanent venue to increase the benefit we can generate,” explained Ella. Indigo is also piloting a new idea to create a community-driven interactive venue in Devon that will offer the locals the chance to participate and volunteer.

Ella gave a few details on the new project: “It will not only sell the co-operatives’ products, but will include a coffee corner, locally-sourced produce, reading material on worldwide issues, local artists’ wares, music, workshops and documentary showings”. Through the Cultural Hub they also aim to reduce prejudices and encourage cultural harmony within the local community.

Global Indigo is driven by the belief that small co-operatives are an essential, but often neglected, area of development and business. Global Indigo supports people in these communities who have joined groups or co-operatives and who have been trying to make a difference.

“This moves them away from (often corrupt) aid reliance, the producers work sustainably, they are rewarded and not reliant on hand-outs,” said Ella.

Global Indigo also works towards raising the awareness of the young people with regard to responsible shopping methods. It has recently linked up with the University of Exeter to promote fair-trading.