Top 300 co-operatives have turnover of nearly $2 trillion

The world’s top 300 co-operatives have a turnover of around $2 trillion, according to data released by the ICA today.

The world’s top 300 co-operatives have a turnover of around $2 trillion, according to data released by the ICA today.

The data forms part of the brand new World Co-operative Monitor, the report that replaces the Global300 and looks at the wider impact of the top global co-operatives.

The report was compiled using social and economic data, and measures social impact as well as annual turnover of the largest global co-operatives.

It was created with the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises, who believe strongly in the need to monitor co-operatives and to continue the work of the Global300.

The report, which uses data from 2010, described the Global300 as just “the tip of the pyramid of the co-operative sector” and hopes to promote the visibility of co-operatives as an alternative business model.

Charles Gould, ICA Director-General, said: “Throughout this year, the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) has promoted and supported a large number of initiatives. As the global voice of co-operatives, ICA determined that the International Year of Co-operatives also presented the perfect opportunity to collect data on the largest co-operatives in the world.

“The goal is to move beyond the largest 300 and beyond the measure of annual turnover. To accomplish this, ICA will be partnering with other co-operative lists, by country and sector, sharing data where possible and making it available to the co-operative community.”

The World Co-operative Monitor used data collected through questionnaires to determine the social impact of the largest co-operatives, however due to a limited number of questionnaires being received, the data is small, but as the ICA described “encouraging.”

Other data was derived from existing international lists and databases of local federations all over the world, integrated with the Amadeus database of Bureau van Dijk about European co-operatives, with a turnover of over USD 100 million in 2010.

The database consists of 2,192 co-operatives across 61 countries. Non-banking and insurance co-ops had an income of $1,155.1 billion, banking income had an income of $180.6 billion and insurance: $1,106.3 billion.

Europe made up the most co-ops with 1,297, Americas came second with 560, followed by Asia, 156, Oceania, 151 and finally Africa, 8.

The co-operatives by sector were: insurance co-operatives and mutual (28%), agriculture and food industries (26%), consumer and retail (21%), industry and utilities (7%), banking and financial services (7%), other services (4%), health and social care (3%), other (3%) and other (1%).]

Agriculture and food industries

The agriculture and food industry groups together all co-operatives that operate along the entire agricultural value chain, starting from the cultivation of agricultural products and livestock farming to the industrial processing of agricultural products and animals. This sector includes both agricultural producers’ co-operatives and consortia of co-operatives, or similar arrangements, to carry out for members the processing and marketing of agricultural goods.

Overall, data was collected for 553 co-operatives distributed in 36 countries, with a total income in 2010 of 483.2 billion US dollars.

Looking at co-operatives with an income of over 100 million USD, there are 411 co-operatives distributed in 26 countries, with a total income of 477 billion US dollars.

Consumer and retail co-operatives

This sector includes co-operatives formed to purchase and supply goods and services at competitive conditions in the interest of members (retailers or consumers). The sector also includes purchasing co-operatives established among firms to aggregate demand to obtain lower prices, in particular to reduce the cost of raw materials and energy.

Overall, data was collected for 429 co-operatives distributed in 38 countries, with a total income in 2010 of 539.5 billion US dollars.

Looking at the co-operatives with an income of over 100 million USD, there are 274 co-operatives distributed in 29 countries, with a total income of 536.2 billion US dollars.

Industry and utilities

This sector includes co-operatives surveyed by the World Co-operative Monitor operating in industrial sectors, with the exception of food industry, and utilities; that is, co-operatives that are active in the management of infrastructure for a public service, such as electricity, natural gas, and water. The industrial sector also includes worker co-operatives in the construction sector.
Overall, data was collected for 143 co-operatives distributed in 18 countries, with a total income in 2010 of 60.1 billion US dollars.

Looking at the co-operatives with an income of over 100 million USD, there are 125 co-operatives distributed in 14 countries, with a total income of 59.2 billion US dollars.

Health and social care

This sector includes co-operatives that manage health, social, or educational services. The data presented below shows how data was collected across the world, especially Europe and South America.

Data was collected for 62 co-operatives distributed in 18 countries, with a total income in 2010 of 20.8 billion US dollars.

Looking at the co-operatives with an income of over 100 million USD, there are 31 co-operatives distributed in 11 countries, with a total income of 20.1 billion US dollars.

Other services

This category covers all co-operatives that provide services other than those included in health and social care, such as co-operative business services and transport.

Data was collected for 91 co-operatives distributed in 20 countries, with a total income in 2010 of 27.1 billion US dollars.

Looking at the co-operatives with an income of over 100 million USD, there are 58 co-operatives distributed in 14 countries, with a total income of 26.1 billion US dollars.

Banking and financial services

This sector includes co-operative banks and credit unions providing banking and financial intermediation services, democratically controlled by member customers (borrowers and depositors). Also included are credit unions and banks whose capital owners are composed of individuals without rights regarding the management of the bank or credit union.
Overall, data was collected for 150 co-operative banks, credit unions, and other financial co-operatives distributed in 29 countries, with a total income of 180.6 billion US dollars.

Looking at the co-operatives with an income of over 100 million USD, there are 69 co-operatives distributed in 23 countries, with 178.5 billion US dollars.

Insurance co-operatives and mutuals

This section is dedicated to mutual organisations and co-operatives owned and democratically controlled by their insured customers. These entities enable members to obtain insurance policies at more favourable conditions than those available on the open market.
Overall, data was collected for 585 insurance co-operatives and mutuals distributed in 39 countries, with a total income in 2010 of 1,106.3 billion US dollars.

This is only the first step in achieving the final goal of the World Co-operative Monitor. It is an ambitious project that ICA and Euricse will bring forward together.

Co-operatives can actively participate in the project, first by completing the questionnaire at www.monitor.coop/quest, which is presented in the Annex to this report. Second, it can spread the word and contribute to the wider dissemination of the project.

ICA and Euricse, aware of the opportunity that visibility of the project can provide for single co-operatives that decide to take part, intend in the coming months to develop www.monitor.coop, a website dedicated to the World Co-operative Monitor, where users can browse to find all the co-operatives in the World Co-operative Monitor database and consult the main information.

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