EXPLORINGTHE COOPERATIVEECONOMYREPORT 2020

REPORT 2020

EXPLORINGTHE COOPERATIVEECONOMYwww.monitor.coop
Titolo capitolo

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THE WORLD COOPERATIVE MONITOR IS AN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE ALLIANCE INITIATIVE WITH THE SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT OF EURICSE

MADE POSSIBLE BY THE SUPPORT OF OUR ORGANISATIONAL PARTNERS

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT
www.monitor.coop
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THE 2020

WORLD
COOPERATIVEMONITOR

Bruno Roelants
Director General, ICA

Gianluca Salvatori
Secretary General, Euricse

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the Euro-as you’ll read about some in this report, many large cooperatives

pean Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterpris-

have stepped in to help employees, members, and communities

es (Euricse) are pleased to present the ninth annual World

to face the health and economic repercussions of COVID 19.

Cooperative Monitor report. This publication reports on the

In addition to the rankings and special section on the glob-

world’s largest cooperatives and mutuals, or groups of coop-al pandemic, this year’s report also includes a special focus

eratives and mutuals, including rankings of the Top 300 andon the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), goal 13

sectoral analysis based on 2018 financial data.

– Climate Action in particular. As in previous editions of theEach year, the World Cooperative Monitor builds upon theWCM, we have analyzed the contribution of the Top 300 andresearch and data collection of the previous years, continually

other large cooperatives to meeting the targets of this SDG,

refining and improving the methodology and data collection

demonstrating how cooperatives can lead the way to a morestrategies. There are many challenges in comparing organi-sustainable economy.

sations across countries with different legal frameworks and

The newly formed International Cooperative Entrepreneurshipstandards but, working with partners and federations fromThink Tank (ICETT), a group of large cooperatives engaged withacross the globe, we are able to construct a scientifically ro-

the ICA on strategic thinking around cooperative entrepreneur-bust and informative report.

ship, has contributed to the reports on COVID 19 and SDG 13 andFor the cooperative movement, and not only, this past year

we thank the members for their support and commitment to thishas presented serious challenges and also seen meaningful

annual publication. A special thank you as well to all the contribu-

positive contributions to health and well-being around the world.

tors and collaborators, the organizations that provided their data,

The global pandemic has put a strain on many businesses, but

and the supporters of this year’s World Cooperative Monitor.

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INDEX WCM 2020
6 INTRODUCTION
How are cooperatives and mutuals responding to the current
global challenges?
Global landscape of large cooperatives
The WCM and the ICETT - Interview with ICETT Chair, Tarun
Bhargava (IFFCO)
WCM data collection
18 IMPACT AND REACTIONS OF COOPERATIVES TO COVID-19
Case story from Smart - Helping freelancers through the COVID crisis
28 CLIMATE ACTION - WHAT LARGE COOPERATIVES CAN DO TO
MEET SGD 13Interview with Peter Westall, Midcounties Co-operative
Case story from Rabobank - innovative banking for climate
consciousness
42 2018 RESULTS AND RANKINGS
Highlights and Key results
Methodology and data sources
Sector Rankings
Top 300 Ranking by Turnover with employment data
Top 300 Ranking by Turnover over GDP per capita
142 REFERENCES
144 TEAM, PARTNERS, SPONSORSThe World Cooperative Monitor team and advisory committee
Promoters and Organisational partners

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYINTRODUCTION
The World Cooperative Monitor, which achieves its 9thedition in 2020, has continuously developed in pursuing
its two ambitions: illustration of the economic and social contributions of cooperatives and mutuals throughthe data on large cooperatives and mutuals and development of a methodology for data collection. Although
there are still unsolved issues, the WCM 2020 describes
the global landscape of large cooperatives and mutuals
and illustrates their dynamics, with empirical evidences.
HOW ARE COOPERATIVES AND MUTUALS RESPONDING TO THE CURRENT GLOBAL CHALLENGES?
It is sure that the year of 2020 will be marked as theyear of unprecedented global crisis: COVID19. At thesame time, the temporary improvements to the qualityof the environment during this crisis showed that ouractions for the climate could change the negative scenario related to climate change. In this sense, it wasvery timely and relevant that “cooperatives for climate
action” was adopted as the theme of the International
Day of Cooperatives 2020.
In focusing on large cooperatives and mutuals, which
can make a more visible and measurable impact, theWCM 2020 tries to capture the dynamics of how they are

6

Introduction

effectively responding to these two global challenges. In
using information from the collected data as well as incollaborating closely with the International Cooperative
Entrepreneurship Think Tank (ICETT), the WCM 2020
dedicates two sections on these topics.
The COVID 19 chapter discusses some of the effects
the global pandemic has had on the cooperative sector
along with some of the ways in which cooperatives andpolicymakers have responded. Despite the huge impact
the health crisis has had, cooperatives have provenresilient and innovative. The chapter highlights someconcrete actions large cooperatives have taken andincludes a case story about SMART and their actions
towards helping their members, primarily from the culture and creative arts sector.
The section focused on large cooperatives and SDG 13– Climate Action brings our attention to the contribution of large cooperatives to mitigating and adapting
to climate change, and in general creating a greener
society. Concrete examples of actions taken by large
cooperatives, including an interview with Midcounties
Co-operative and a case story on Rabobank, demonstrate how the contributions of cooperatives can befundamental on several fronts, not just within theircooperative but also in promoting and encouraging

REPORT 2020change in the actions of partners, members, clients,and local communities.
GLOBAL LANDSCAPE OF LARGE COOPERATIVES AND
MUTUALS
In establishing the Top 300 rankings, the WCM 2020 also
showcases the economic weight and main characteristics of the largest cooperative and mutual enterprises across the world1. The WCM presents two different
Top 300 rankings: one based on turnover and the other based on the ratio of turnover over Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) per capita2. Employment data is also presented for the Top 300 where available.
The Top 300 by turnover ranking this year (data reference year 2018) presents an overall total of 2,146
billion USD with the agricultural (104 enterprises) andinsurance sectors (101 enterprises) dominating thelist. The wholesale and retail trade sector mainly composed of retailers’ cooperatives (33 enterprises) andconsumer cooperatives (21 enterprises) represents
the third biggest economic sector followed by the financial service sector (21 enterprises). In terms of cooperative type, almost half of the Top 300 are producer cooperatives (133 enterprises) mainly representing
agricultural cooperatives and retailers’ cooperatives,
whereas mutuals (83 enterprises) and consumer/user
cooperatives (65 enterprises) mainly composed of consumer cooperatives and financial service cooperatives
represent the other half. Only a small number of worker cooperatives (3 enterprises) and multi-stakeholder
cooperatives (2 enterprises) are included in the Top
300 rankings by turnover. As the turnover is taken with
its absolute value, most of the large cooperatives andmutuals in the Top 300 rankings are from the most industrialized countries such as, the USA (74 enterprises), France (44 enterprises), Germany (30 enterprises),
Japan (24 enterprises), Netherlands (18 enterprises)
and Italy (12 enterprises).

It should be noted that due to limited data sources, the Top 300 rankings cannot be considered exhaustive. However, it should also be noted that based on the consolidated data collection methods refined over the last nine years, the rankings in the WCM 2020 represent a very important part of largest cooperatives worldwide(for more detailed information on data collection, please see the section on methodological remarks in this chapter and the Methodology and Data sources section).
1

The ratio of turnover over GDP per capita measures the turnover of the Top 300 cooperative and mutual enterprises in terms of the purchasing power of an
economy, relating the turnover of the enterprise to the wealth of the country. It allows us to compare the relative size of enterprises in considering different levelsof national economic wealth.
2Introduction

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EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

However, the Top 300 based on the ratio of turnover over GDP per capita shows a different landscape. When we correct the bias in calculating
the effect of different levels of national economic
context, the predominance of agriculture and insurance sectors is slightly mitigated and service
sectors become more visible (education, healthand welfare sector with 7 enterprises comparedto 2 enterprises in the Top 300 by turnover andother services with 6 enterprises compared to
2 enterprise in the Top 300 by turnover). This

8

Introductionchange also implies that worker cooperatives become more visible in the Top 300 GDP per capita(10 enterprises). Particularly, the Top 300 turnover over GDP per capita allows more countries
to enter in the ranking, such as Colombia, Costa
Rica, Uruguay, Turkey and Kenya, which is the
only African case in the WCM 2020. It also sheds
more light on some countries with a significant
number of large cooperatives which were lessvisible in the Top 300 by turnover, such as Spain,
Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and India.

REPORT 2020

TOP 300 TURNOVER USD
Economic activities

1(0.3%)

1042(0.7%)

2(34.7%)(0.7%)

2(0.7%)

3(1%)

7(2.3%)

10121(33.7%)(7%)

57(19.0%)SECTOR LEGENDAGRICULTURE INCLUDING FORESTRY AND
FOOD INDUSTRIES UNDER CONTROL OF PRODUCERSEDUCATION, HEALTH AND SOCIAL WORKFINANCIAL SERVICEFISHING

INDUSTRY
INSURANCEUTILITIESWHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADEOTHER SERVICES

HOUSING

Introduction

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EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 300 TURNOVER USD
TOP 10RANK2018

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

1

Groupe Crédit
Agricole

2

TYPE

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018

FTE ORHEADCOUNTFranceconsumer/
user

89.10

140,882

FTE

REWE Group

Germany

producer

63.07

234,017

Headcount

3

Groupe BPCE

Franceconsumer/
user

63.01

105,458

Headcount4

ZenkyorenJapan

producer

58.14

6,548

Headcount5

Zen-NohJapan

producer

56.15

7,960

Headcount

6

ACDLEC - E.
Leclerc

Franceproducer

55.08

129,000

Headcount

7

Nippon LifeJapan

mutual54.98

86,017

Headcount

8

Groupe Crédit
MutuelFranceconsumer/
user

48.72

69,640

Headcount

9

State FarmUSA

mutual43.43

10Nonghyup(NACF)

Republic of
Korea

producer

41.41

100,594

Headcount

Financial services

10

Introduction

ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY

Wholesale and retail trade

Insurance

Agriculture and food industries

REPORT 2020

TOP 300 TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
Economic activities

97

1

1

(0.3%)(0.3%)

4(32.3%)(1.3%)

7(2.3%)

6(2.0%)

96
(32%)

24
(8%)

64
(21.3%)SECTOR LEGENDAGRICULTURE INCLUDING FORESTRY AND
FOOD INDUSTRIES UNDER CONTROL OF PRODUCERSEDUCATION, HEALTH AND SOCIAL WORKFINANCIAL SERVICEFISHING

INDUSTRY
INSURANCEUTILITIESWHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADEOTHER SERVICES

HOUSING

Introduction 11

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 300 TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
TOP 10RANK2018

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRYNUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018

FTE ORHEADCOUNT

1

IFFCO

India

producer

3,715,708

4,764

Headcount2

Gujarat Cooperative
Milk Marketing
Federation Ltd

India

producer

2,419,575

3Groupe Crédit
Agricole

Franceconsumer/user

2,140,274

140,882FTE

4Groupe BPCE

Franceconsumer/user

1,513,648

105,458

Headcount5

ZenkyorenJapan

producer

1,484,626

6,548

Headcount

6

Zen-NohJapan

producer

1,433,801

7,960

Headcount

7

Nippon LifeJapan

mutual

1,403,879

86,017

Headcount

8

REWE Group

Germany

producer

1,323,868

234,017

Headcount

9

ACDLEC - E.
Leclerc

Franceproducer

1,323,126

129,000

Headcount

10

Nonghyup (NACF)

Republic of
Korea

producer

1,242,003

100,594

Headcount

Financial services

12

Introduction

ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY

Wholesale and retail trade

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP
per CAPITA 2018

Insurance

Agriculture and food industries

REPORT 2020

THE WCM AND THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP THINK TANK (ICETT)
Another interesting aspect that is new for the WCM
2020 is the establishment of a close relationship with
the ICETT, a recently-formed group of large cooperatives engaged with ICA in the study and deepening ofvarious issues related to the cooperative world. A collaboration has begun to integrate cooperative issuesof the moment with the WCM to stimulate strategic
action through best practice sharing amongst ICETT
members, the top 300 cooperatives and mutuals andthe wider cooperative movement.

This partnership is leading to mutual growth; in fact,
we are happy that the WCM is seen by the group as a
useful tool, both to the cooperative world to evaluate
its own positioning, and to the outside world to highlight the importance of cooperation in the world. At
the same time, the possibilitwy of working with ICETT
members allows us to improve, as much as possible,
the WCM and to collect useful ideas that can be incorporated in the report in the future.

INTERVIEW WITH TARUN BHARGAVA
GENERAL MANAGER (COOPERATIVE RELATIONS) OF IFFCO (INDIA)
Tarun Bhargava is the Chair of the Cooperative Entrepreneurship Think Tank (ICETT), the ICA think tank formed in 2018
to strengthen cooperatives’ entrepreneurial performance by seeking and using innovative ideas, research, education, andcooperation to address the challenges that cooperative enterprises are facing.

What value can the ICETT bring to the International Cooper-

tional cooperation and through it, large scale benefits to theative Movement?

wider community. It works through four working groups onimportant themes like ‘Future of Work’, ‘Human Rights andThis is indeed a very important question, simply because

Value Chains’, ‘WCM & SDGs’ and ‘Cooperative Identity andyou refer to the movement and not just the ICA. ICETT is theCompetitive Advantage’, and its membership is comprised ofbrainchild of the circumstances the global community finds

true leaders from the cooperative sector, who have now com-

itself in. There are enterprise ideas that are unable to takemitted and resolved to help the movement on entrepreneurial

off; the ones that do take off hardly manage to survive; there

aspects and climate, in the 21st century. Besides this evident

is little or no entrepreneurial exchange among large coop-value of bringing together large ethically run global leaders,eratives. ICETT is expected to bridge these gaps and usher

in my opinion, ICETT is best positioned to mobilize cooperativein an era of strategic thought which could propel strategic

values of solidarity and social responsibility in the context ofaction among cooperatives, aimed at strengthening interna-cooperative entrepreneurship.
Introduction 13

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

How are the members of ICETT collaborating on the WorldHow have international partnerships such as ICETT impact-

Cooperative Monitor research and what are the prospects

ed the work of IFFCO?

for future collaboration?
IFFCO is a product of International Cooperation, and more
ICETT collaboration on the WCM is going to be a game-chang-than anything else, India is a land of freedom of knowledge

er. All of us are proud of the unparalleled and unique work that

where our ethos is built on gaining education and practic-

the WCM team has done so far. I think it is timely that large co-ing learning. Our participation in the ICETT is fully inspired

operatives like IFFCO, The Midcounties Co-operative, Sancor

by Hon’ble Managing Director, IFFCO Dr U.S. Awasthi, who

Seguros, Mondragon, Rabobank, S Group, and other members

is an internationalist and has been on the forefront of in-of the ICETT, can reflect together with the WCM team on is-

novative evolution of our cooperative organization that rep-sues beyond their economic contribution to the society. We live

resents the needs and aspirations of 36000 member coop-in a world of SDGs, and many corporations around the world

eratives! Besides India, IFFCO has its operations in Jordan,

co-own the pursuit of these goals along with governments andOman, Dubai and works with many other global corpora-the civil society movement. The link between WCM and ICETT

tions. Like other members of the ICETT, we stand to gain

will help us all articulate and pronounce the role and nature of

from respective best practices in general, SDGs linked ini-cooperatives, which have sustainability in their DNA, in the run

tiatives, and strategic inter-cooperation including trade andup to 2030. WCM has since 2018 included a section on SDGs inbusiness, in particular. IFFCO has also been on the board of

its reports. The close collaboration envisioned between ICETT

the ICA for years, representing the voice of the largest co-and WCM will take this coverage forward, and bring much val-

operative movement in the world, and by this I don’t meanue to future WCM reports as the two now have a discussion

only my country, India, but also in our region and sector.

and thinking platform to convene and brainstorm ideas andtopical issues which could be included in WCM reports to help
better recognize and appreciate the difference Coop Business
Model can bring to the society. I believe that in the future WCM
will be a very crucial tool to raise the profile of cooperatives
for policy makers and industry professionals working in the
Coop Arena.

14

Introduction

REPORT 2020

In this edition of the World Cooperative Monitor we’re spe-

This year we can’t ignore the impact of COVID 19 on ourcifically addressing the targets of SDG 13 (Climate Action).

economies and our work as cooperatives. What role can co-

How are cooperatives positioned to meet the targets?

operatives play in the recovery efforts?

I take the example of IFFCO where Climate change is central,

Most importantly, we cannot forget the impact of COVID-19

both in terms of us taking full cognisance of the threat for, pri-on our homes and by that I mean by the health of our nearmarily, our members are farmers, and secondly, in terms of ourand dear ones. This is what Dr U.S. Awasthi mentioned duringcommitment to lessen the effect by taking appropriate action.

one of the first webinars organized under the ICA system way

At IFFCO it is our way of life to integrate Environment Friendly

back in June this year. Our recovery has to be oriented to

Ergonomic solutions within our business processes. We havebenefit humanity first, but also needs to be centered aroundentered the ecological fertilizer sector in a big way and expect tosafe-guarding our planet. The pandemic is also a reminder

bring in behavioural change in millions of farmers and citizens

of nature hitting back and claiming its space back from un-at large to opt only for environmentally friendly practices on

ethical practices, particularly in the business world. To begin

their farms as well as kitchen gardens. We will be able to tackle

with, we need to support people-centric social enterprises inclimate change through science and innovation, apart from of

healthcare. I think cooperatives are the most suitable vehicles

course doing small things individually. The latest innovation toto reach to different strata of the society in these challenging

come out is IFFCO Nano-Urea and other nanotechnology based

times. I believe IFFCO as well as other members of the ICETT

agri-inputs. We have also forayed into Bio-Fertilisers, Sustain-

and of course large cooperatives the world over must comeable Agro-Forestry, Sustainable Water & Waste Management,

together in solidarity, plan and launch a recovery strategy im-

Sagarika-A Seaweed based bio-stimulant and Solar Energy

mediately and should include the virtual tools to address thebased implementation in our production units in a big way. We

new normal.

believe the Soil is the Soul of Mother Earth and we help Farmers to conserve it for the future. We have examples from Mondragon, Rabobank and coops from other sectors also who arecommitted to contributing to this important subject.

Introduction 15

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

WCM DATA COLLECTION
In the “Methodology and data sources” section, readers
will find detailed information on the methodology and data
sources used for the 2020 WCM. However, it would be
worth noting here some changes and key aspects of thedata collection method.
First, with the aim of collecting economic and employment
data from the largest cooperative and mutual enterprises,
this year we have concentrated efforts on collecting turnover and employment data through the search for annual
and sustainability reports for each organization in the Top
300 ranking of the WCM 2019 rather than relying primarilyon external datasets. This strategy has allowed us to centralize data collection while at the same time providing abetter understanding of the organizations, both in theirstructure (in most cases particularly complex) and with respect to the activities carried out. The online research has
been integrated with other data sources: the lists that are
published at national level, existing datasets and the answers to the online questionnaire.
With regard to the national lists, these constitute an important source for the WCM and for this reason we hopethat they will be produced by more countries and sectors.

1

The complete list of data sources is in the methodology chapter.

16

Introduction

The national lists have the advantage of listing the cooperative organizations in their own country, taking into accountthe cooperative system that characterizes it. It should be
noted that we have closely collaborated with the national
cooperative movement organizations not only through thenational lists but also to get information on large cooperatives found in different data sources1.
Data relating to some organizations can be difficult to find
if not included in national or sector lists. It is particularly
the case for most developing countries where the existing
enterprise datasets do not provide significant coverage. In
fact, in this edition some organizations that usually enter
the top 300 ranking are not present because some lists
have not been published.
As for the questionnaire, we consider this a very useful tooland for this reason we continue to use it as a source ofdata collection and every year we try to make it complete
but at the same time as short as possible. Nevertheless, it
is not yet a successful tool and the response rate is much
lower than our expectations. We hope that in the future,organizations will understand the importance of data sharing and that we will receive a greater number of completed
questionnaires.
The complete results and summarized methodology are in
the “2018 Results and Rankings” chapter.

REPORT 2020

Copyright: it.freepik.com
Introduction 17

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYIMPACT AND REACTIONSOF COOPERATIVES TO
COVID-19

18

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

REPORT 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a global socioeconomic impact on all humanaffairs, both at the individual and aggregate level. In most countries, thetrue cost of this crisis has yet to be assessed, as it will be possible to do soonly after the containment measures
are lifted and relief plans interrupted.
However, it is to be expected that allkinds of companies, from micro enterprises to massive multinational groups,
have been affected (OECD, 2020a; Bartik et al. 2020, Ding et al. 2020). In thisframework, it is perfectly plausible thatthe cooperative world has been impacted as well. Although it has been notedthat the cooperative business model
has been resilient to the previous global financial crisis (Birchall & Ketilson,2009), it is also important to consider
that a crisis caused by a pandemic is notcomparable with the past experience:such event deeply disrupted social andindividual habits, directly affecting thecore structure of cooperatives in bothits economic and social aspects.
One of the first things that emerges

from the Cooperatives Europe Report(2020) is that, regardless of the sizeand legislative context, all cooperatives
across Europe have been impacted by
the crisis: in the vast majority of cases,
turnovers were lower than normal andtemporary unemployment schemes had
to be put in place. However, the impact
varied based on the sector in which thecooperative operates, with the tourism,
transport and culture sectors being
among the most harshly hit. Similar
responses came from the Asia Pacificregion, one of the first regions to be hit
by the virus: a lot of cooperatives asked
for moratoria on loans, saw a decreasein sales of both services and products,
faced cash flow issues, had a significant reduction of activities due to therestrictions on movement put in place
under the lockdowns and loss of income
in line with these restrictions (Dongre& Paranjothi, 2020). Data from some
African regions, where cooperatives
are mainly agriculture based, denote a
substantial reduction in revenues, coming from reduced deliveries, loss of buy-

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

19

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

ers, lower prices, higher operational costs and loss ofmembers (TANGO International, 2020). Recent investigations from Colombia (Confecoop, 2020) and Argentina (CoopNews, 2020) point in the same direction as
the previous results.
However, there could be a silver lining to the situation: aminority of European cooperatives seized the opportunity to reconvert their activity and are doing better than
before, especially medium enterprises in the health andretail sector (Cooperatives Europe, 2020). Although thisis surely the exception, an increase in activities in sometypologies of cooperatives can be seen also outside Europe, in countries like Brazil, USA, Argentina, Uganda,
Colombia and Korea (CICOPA, 2020).
But how are cooperatives responding to the crisis?
Apart from the economic results, what are cooperative
businesses doing to face the crisis?
The adaptability and flexibility demonstrated during
the recent economic crisis (Michie, Blasi & Borzaga,2017) are showing during the global pandemic as well.
Despite the economic downturn, many cooperatives

20

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

from every continent contributed and adapted to thesituation, adopting measures to make their businessmore sustainable and aid society in general.
A report from the ILO (2020a) concerning the worldwide emerging responses of cooperatives, shows thatmany are predisposing hygiene measures, temperature controls at the entrance of their warehouses andfactories or installing distancing floor markers; on thefront of operation market, enterprises in some European countries, North America and New Zealand areproviding teleworking opportunities, increasing pay
for those working on-site during lockdowns, offeringchildcare services or modifying paid time-off policies.
As mentioned before, agricultural cooperatives are especially important in developing countries and for thisreason Fairtrade producer and consumer cooperatives
have shortened supply chains so as to establish directpurchase lines between them and reduce the risk ofhigher food prices.
Other than being flexible, a fundamental characteristic of cooperatives is their public interest aims. During

REPORT 2020

the pandemic, many cooperatives all around the worldcontributed to broadening the access to Covid-19 information through surveys, messages, online resources,
risk management advices, monitoring governments’
help and dedicated hotlines. Moreover, agriculturaland retail cooperatives are helping vulnerable people
and providing essential goods to those more affectedby lockdowns. Consumer cooperatives such as banks,
utility providers and housing services are waiving latefees, postponing rents, offering broadband services toschools and providing low interest loans.
It should also be considered that the reaction of thecooperatives to the crisis has been supported by themeasures developed by governments to help thesebusinesses cope with the pandemic. In Italy, cooperatives work together with fintech companies inproviding finance to SMEs, also supported throughEuropean funding programs. Moreover, the scheme
Garanzia Italia allows non-bank financial institutions
to provide loans, further easing the access to liquidity of cooperatives in need (Finextra, 2020). Provincial

governments in Indonesia put in place a purchasing
power stimulus for cooperative products and liquid
subsidies to coops affected by Covid-19, while Malaysia offered 6-month moratorium and restructuringof loans for all social enterprises (OECD, 2020b); In
France and Canada, several funds were created to facilitate access to loans, while many other countries
allowed a delay in local, income, security contribution
taxes and VAT (SEWF, 2020); In the US, the USFWC(2020) requested to be eligible for the CARES Act, apaycheck protection program. To counteract excessive spikes in unemployment, many countries established job retention schemes, such as temporary
layoff programs, unemployment schemes or layoff
blockage. Governments have also facilitated accessto information and provide useful tools for collaboration between cooperatives, private/public sector andthe citizens themselves, such as the development ofvolunteering platforms.

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

21

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

THE REACTION OF LARGE COOPERATIVES TO THE
COVID-19 CRISIS
Size matters more when considering the support
needed to face the crisis - with small enterprises
needing more immediate liquidity aid and medium/large ones requiring business planning and protection
equipment – and, consequently, the measures put inplace to cope with the current situation (Cooperatives
Europe, 2020). Considering how relevant the size factor is, the International Cooperative Entrepreneurship
Think Tank (ICETT) understood the need and importance of investigating how large cooperatives dealt
with the pandemic, so as to better comprehend thedifferentiation of the phenomenon in this particular instance of cooperative enterprise. They thus conducteda survey of ICETT members.
The members of ICETT confirmed the need for urgent
actions and business adaptation, underlining the key rolecooperatives’ values and principles will play in coping
and recovering from the pandemic. The COVID-19 crisishas been a source of disruption in the business modelof every member, requiring many organizations to adapt
and create an extensive network of community support.
An example from the banking sector is Rabobank, thefirst bank in the Netherlands to postpone the interest
payments and repayments on loans for SMEs, also established a support fund for cultural and sport organisations. Similarly, the Buldana Urban Cooperative So-

22

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

ciety in India reduced its rates to lighten the weight ofdebt burdening the more exposed parties.
Retail cooperatives, such as S-Group and Midcounties
Co-operative, are changing their business model to fit
into the new safety requirements and support the mostvulnerable members and customers: other than increasing e-commerce outlets, they launched foodbank funds
and developed new concepts such as take-away andhome delivery services to facilitate access to products.
More specifically, Midcounties set up a £75k Community
Restart Fund to provide immediate financial support to
the group, all while working with local volunteering organizations to provide the aforementioned services, and S
Group implemented a ‘Click & Collect’ system designed
to reduce crowding and improve efficiency.
On the agricultural side, the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited carried out social awarenesscampaigns and arranged supplies of safety equipment
in several Indian regions. The Argentinian Cooperativede Trabajos Portuarios Limitada, operating in the sector of port and maritime services, focused on ensuringthat at-risk workers receive an increased remuneration
while preserving their health.
Worker cooperatives such as Smart Belgium developed
0% credit mechanisms and training plans for its members, helping them to be more resilient during and after
the pandemic. Likewise, The Kibbutz Movement in Israel protected its unemployed members with economic
assistance and provided the elderly and children with

REPORT 2020social support, supplies and recreational activities, ini- Sancor Seguros Group highlighted the positive impact
tiatives made possible thanks to the structured solidar- that cooperative principles played in gaining the trust
ity mechanisms that was able to cater to the needs of of customers, trust obtained through its contributions
members requiring assistance. Other than these more to the community during the pandemic.
immediate actions, ICETT’s cooperatives have planned The Covid pandemic deeply impacted day to day opboth medium- and long-term ventures, recognizing erations in large cooperatives: the introduction ofthat the crisis will affect the socioeconomic framework extensive smartworking practices, social distancing
well after a vaccine is found. In this spirit, other than the measures and the lack of tangible connections took ameasures mentioned above, Midcounties developed re- toll on the business model and operativity of many orvive and thrive plansganizations. The imThe COVID-19 crisis has been a source
across all their tradperative of protecting
ing groups, to build
both the economicof disruption in the business model of every
cooperative solutions
and the health status[ICETT]
member,requiringmanyorganizations
for the future viaof the stakeholders
the Community Rewhile continuing theto adapt and create an extensive network
start Fund, surveys
provision of productsof community support.
and virtual events.
and services was
Similarly, the Indian
the most challengFarmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited implemented ing priority for the majority of the ICETT members.
a range of long-term measures like flexible office time However, the measures pursued and the responses
schedules and rotating home working programmes to adopted proved once again the great resilience of the
support colleagues while continuing operations.
cooperative business model. The values and principles
The peculiar characteristic of all these initiatives is the at the core of the cooperative identity contributed toprofound bond they have with cooperative identity and the efficient and effective adaptation of these entervalues: the Mondragon Corporation underlined the prises to unpredictable and often extreme conditions,
importance of the cooperative network during the cri- still maintaining a clear focus on what matters most:sis, as it enabled the development of shared and par- supporting economic recovery while rebuilding busiticipated solutions, like increasing health and safety nesses and communities.
protocols. Along this line, the insurance cooperative

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

23

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

CASE STORY SMARTHELPING FREELANCERS THROUGH THE COVID CRISISFounded in Belgium in 1998 for artists, Smart today is
a cooperative of freelancers active in different fields.
Based on the idea of offering these workers the solutions to overcome bureaucratic obstacles and mutualise means and risks, the cooperative is now operatingin 9 European countries and currently counts 35,000
members. More precisely, Smart takes charge of all
the administrative, financial, and accounting aspects
linked to work, while ensuring a double solidarity: theone linked to the status of workers (salaried worker)
and to the mutualization of means. This is crucial to
the Smart model, especially enabling freelancers to become salaried workers. To do this, other than a yearly
30 euro share, the cooperative gets a fair and fixed percentage (that varies by country) on every euro handled
for its members in various contractual arrangements tocover managing costs and invest in mutualized services(advance on payment, adapted insurances, training,
co-working space, tailor-made advice, and workshops).
In this way, the freelancer only has to focus on his/her
knowhow, leaving the administrative aspect of runninga business to Smart. This straightforward businessmodel is further reinforced by the policy of transparency and participatory governance. For this reason, Smartconsiders itself a shared enterprise.
While the cooperative is open to all fields of activity, halfof its members work in the cultural and creative sector,
one that has been thoroughly impacted by the COVID-19
crisis, especially in Europe. As the European Parliament

24 Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19(2020) specifies, cultural employment is precarious by
nature, and the pandemic worsened this situation: theindividual artists, due to safety measures and restrictions, have been among the first being put in lockdown
in many parts of the continent and have suffered severe
economic consequences. In France, where many offices
of Smart are located, “arts and leisure” have been thehardest hit sectors of the economy (Barrot et al. 2020),
while an OECD study (2020) shows a dramatic drop in
spending on recreation and culture in the UK, Germany,
France and Italy. Similarly, Smart observed a drop in theactivities of its members between 10 and 90%, equivalent to the loss of more than 90,000 working days, since
the start of the crisis.
As a response, the cooperative launched the Plan Corona, a comprehensive 5 million euro plan of action thataims to offer both support measures, as a response to
the cancellation of several activities, and recovery stimulus, to help growth in the post-COVID world. The solidarity plan consists of a strategy regarding cancelled
performances, support measures, solidarity mechanisms and promotion of a dynamic recovery. The initiative was firstly promoted by the cooperatives operating in Belgium and France with a press conference
on the 1st of April. The first draft of the plan was thendeveloped by the office in Milan since it had been oneof the most affected areas during the first wave of thepandemic in Europe. The plan designed in Belgium andFrance, is to implement support measures consistingREPORT 2020of a compensation method for all the members that are
victim of cancellations caused by the emergency andtemporary unemployment programs for salaried entrepreneurs with permanent contracts as well as, whenpossible, for those with short contracts. Furthermore,according to its aim of promoting sound economic activity, the cooperative plans to anticipate financing toartists that are trying to reopen their activities by investing, for example, in equipment or marketing. At thesame time, Smart has called for the same measuresinternationally and is focused on preserving the assetsof the international Smart entities established in the EU
by confirming the commitment to finance the development of Smart and the continuation of activities. Smart
has also established a regular COVID information ex-change mechanism to monitor the impact and to keep
its members updated about support measures fromgovernments and public institutions.
To implement these solutions, Smart is working withother organizations, cooperatives and stakeholders,and has structured the plan in a way that will allow it
to be reinforced by other actors interested in doing so,from public institutions to private individuals. An example of this willingness to join forces can be seen in theactivities conducted within Bigre!, an association thatenables intercooperation between cooperatives especially in the fields of training and knowledge and withwhom “Le Fil Cooperatif” was established, a helpline toprovide a listening service for those who need it during
quarantine. Moreover, a platform specifically dedicat-

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19 25

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

ed to informing the Smart community has been created (Kronik), in which whoever desires to contribute cando so and where Smart offers training and information
sessions.
The common denominators to all these initiatives are
the principles of solidarity and mutualism, so that thefreelance community can continue to resist to the crisis and thrive even more once it passes. Given that Europe is in the midst of a second wave, it is still too early
to assess the precise quantitative impact of the Corona
Plan. However, in September, Smart confirmed that,
despite turnovers still falling by 26.5% in Belgium and
34% in France, the trend is indeed toward a gradualimprovement and is following the forecasted curve,
which Smart attributes in part to the cross-sector
solidarity. They also announced additional measures,
mainly focused on boosting economic activities ofmembers, like a training program with an economic
focus and a 0% internal credit system until the endof 2021 (negotiated thanks to support from public authorities). Smart also keeps updating its stakeholders
about the measures adopted by governments in each

26

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

country. Finally, the cooperative is also working at amore central level, as it recently met with the European Commission to discuss about improvements ofthe conditions and tutelage of freelancers. From thisanalysis, it is possible to see that, although lacking (fornow) precise figures, the Plan is indeed contributing to
the alleviation of the economic and psychological toll
on its stakeholders and society in general. Concerning
future developments and perspectives, Smart has yet
to release an official statement about the changes in
the Corona Plan, but it guarantees the total dedication
to the support of the community, as the recent lobbying actions and set of suggestions to protect workers directed at the Belgian government proves. The
recognized limitations of the Plan, the pervasivenessof the crisis and the uncertainty about the future are
the most prominent obstacles to the success of theinitiative, but Smart continues to strive to extend thecoverage of the plan, so as to protect as much as possible vulnerable stakeholders from falling through thecracks of a shattered economy.

REPORT 2020

CONCLUSIONS

this second wave of the crisis. Once the key issues havebeen identified, policymakers and financial institutions
This brief overview highlights some of the effects, co- could put in place more effective countermeasures.
operative responses and government actions during In the short-term, access to liquidity seems to be among
the present Covid-19 crisis, so as to evaluate how the the top priorities for small and medium cooperatives,
pandemic has been impacting cooperative enterprises. while larger organizations will also need more logistical
The overall result of the analysis is that despite being support, with the provision of protective equipment forthoroughly affected by the crisis, cooperative business- all the employees at risk. However, this pervasive andes prove once again to be resilient in times of trouble. widespread global crisis will also require preparation
for the aftermath, reThe impact is being
quiring governments
felt both at the ecoDespite the economic downturn, many
to put in place morenomic and social
cooperatives from every continent contributed long-term policies.
level, but the core
Given the resiliencevalues of general inand adapted to the situation, adopting
andpreparationterest and cooperameasures
to
make
their
businessmoreshown by the cooption have been upheldsustainable and aid society in general.
erative sector in evall around the world,
ery continent, polialthough with particular difficulties in some places, as the adaptation of cymakers will have the responsibility to work toward a
production chains for the supply of medical equipment fairer economic system, more socially and mutually oriented. Future research will provide more homogeneousand interaction with the public sector has shown.
Given the still limited available data, it is difficult and and reliable data, allowing a better understanding ofunwise to offer a one-size-fits-all description of the the true impact of the pandemic on cooperatives. It is
global situation. Therefore, it is advisable for both gov- indeed a challenging period, but also an opportunity toernments and private institutions to conduct surveys prove the importance of developing a more social econand investigate what cooperatives need the most during omy and the validity of the cooperative business model.

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

27

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

CLIMATE ACTION WHAT LARGECOOPERATIVES CAN DO
TO MEET SGD 13

28

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13REPORT 2020

Although the Paris Agreement on climate change has set clear targets for
reducing global warming by cutting thegreenhouse gas emissions by 45% from2010 levels by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, the data on emissions still reveal contrasting trends in
different areas of the world.
Industrialized and transitional countries recorded a total decline of 6.5% inemissions between 2000 and 2018, butdeveloping countries reported the opposite trend due especially to greater industrialization, with an increase of 43.2%
in emissions from 2000 to 2013. And thesituation has not improved in the past
two years. 2019 proved to be the second
hottest year ever recorded and, although
the pandemic reduced emissions in theearly months of 2020 (-6%), this reduction far from guarantees the achievement of the agenda objectives (United

Nations, 2020).
It has become clear that all these dataraise concern not only for the outsized
impact that climate change has on theenvironment, but also on people’s lives
and the economy. Indeed, recent years
have been characterized by a risingnumber of strong natural events, suchas wildfires, hurricanes, and other climate disasters across the continents
whose increased frequency and violence
can be attributable to climate change.
UN data shows that, in 2018, more than
39 million people were affected by natural calamities and disasters (United
Nations, 2020). Looking at the European
Union, between 1980 and 2017, damage
from weather- and climate-related calamities exceeded 425 billion euros, withan increase of 7.6% in the last five years
alone. Furthermore, the European data
show how the variability of the events—

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13

29

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYwith 70% of the total damage attributable to only 3% of
the events—makes it even more difficult to forecast andmanage the events themselves (European Union, 2020).
Moreover, it should be considered that the increasing number of natural disasters, and more generally
speaking global warming, are making some areas ofthe planet less habitable by threatening access to drinking water, lead to an accessible location of arable areas
and thus put millions of people in a condition of extreme
poverty and precariousness. (Abeygunawardena et al.,2009). In this scenario, climate change could raise thenumber of people in extreme poverty up to 122 million
by 2030 (Rozenberg and Hallegatte, 2015).
Nevertheless, it has been evident that in the last year,
due to the pandemic, environmental sustainability andother sustainable development goals (SDGs) have beensomewhat buried in government agendas. In just a few
months, COVID-19 has threatened many of the results
achieved over the last years on the front of poverty andhunger reduction, health care and education and thrown
millions of people - especially the most fragile and thosein precarious conditions - into a situation of health, socialand economic uncertainty (UNDESA, 2020).

30

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13

Sustainable development, however, is more relevant
than ever. The pandemic’s effect should therefore push
countries to stay on course and not abandon the efforts
made so far to reach the objectives of the 2030 agenda.
As reiterated by António Guterres, Secretary-General of
the United Nations (UN), “Everything we do during andafter this crisis [COVID-19] must be with a strong focus on building more equal, inclusive, and sustainableeconomies and societies that are more resilient in theface of pandemics, climate change, and the many otherglobal challenges we face.” (UN, 2020).
Considering all this, it is plausible to assume that the recovery period that will follow the pandemic will offer an
opportunity to accelerate the transition to a greener andmore sustainable economy and, in this transformation,
the contribution of cooperatives will be fundamental.
As recalled by the director of the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) on the launch of the 2020 International Cooperative Day, “One of the things this pandemic has done is to remind us just how closely the worldof work is connected to climate change and thereforeof the central role it must play in combating it. It’s precisely because the cooperative model aligns short-term

REPORT 2020

actions with long-term vision that it can give us precious insight into how to confront global crises, be it
pandemic or climate change” (ILO, 2020b).
There are many examples of how cooperatives alreadycontribute to building a greener society. In Africa, cooperatives have supported local communities in the fightagainst deforestation (Committee for the Promotion
and Advancement of Cooperatives, n.d.). Elsewhere,
agricultural cooperatives have supported communities
in responding to and reducing the impact of natural disasters related to climate change as well as supporting
local farmers in adopting more efficient, sustainable
farming practices (Food and Agriculture Organisation,n.d.). Energy cooperatives have offered sustainable
technologies to produce clean energy (ILO, 2013), andconsumer cooperatives have committed themselves toguaranteeing more sustainable production chains andreducing waste (Eurocoop, 2012).
Furthermore, by operating in different sectors, cooperatives can establish collaborations to address climate change on several fronts that contribute to theconstruction of a zero-carbon economy (Sustainability
Solutions Group, 2014). This is even more evident in thelarge cooperatives that, operating in many sectors andinteracting with many suppliers and partners, can promote large-scale initiatives to build low-greenhousegas (GHG) emission and climate-resilient economies
and societies.
LARGE COOPERATIVES AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Having said that, the next paragraphs will present examples of actions by large cooperatives to combat climate change focusing on the actions put in place to respond to the targets of SDG 13 – Climate Action.
Among the objectives of the 2030 agenda, SDG13 is
the one explicitly dedicated to the fight against climatechange with a focus on climate change mitigation andadaptation. However, climate change mitigation andadaptation are only a small part of the contributions
that cooperatives can make to the environmental protection of our planet. As highlighted by several studies(International Council for Science, 2017; UN, 2018) the
17 SDGs are strongly interconnected. To fully understand how cooperatives contribute to environmental
protection, then, we must deepen not only the contribu-

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13

31

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

tions directly connected to SDG 13 but also the contributions that cooperatives can make to the protection oflife below water (SDG 14), life on land (SDG 15), and to
the production of clean, affordable energy (SDG 7). Only
an integrated analysis of the SDGs can offer a complete
picture of the real contributions of cooperatives on theenvironmental front. Nevertheless, the examples discussed in the next paragraphs clearly demonstrate how
the contributions of cooperatives can be fundamental
on several fronts, helping the progress toward a carbon-free society.
The examples are collected from annual reports andsustainability reports1 of the top-300 cooperatives andby looking at the results of a survey conducted by the
ICETT among its members aiming at collecting information on the programs or policies these cooperatives
have introduced focused on Climate Action.
To collect comparable data, the analysis focuses on reports complying with the guidelines of the Global Re-

porting Initiative (GRI).2 The analysis examines a selection of GRI indicators that, according to the guidelines of
the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) compass project,3 are relevant to climate change (SDG 13). Limiting
the analysis to the 2018-2019 annual and sustainability
reports complying with GRI standards also considerably
limits the number of cases examined. Of the 300 cooperatives in the ranking, only 40 are present in the online
GRI database. Of these, only 32 compose their reports
using the GRI indicators. Despite these limitations, theexamples provide interesting insights into the contribution that cooperatives can make toward achieving theobjectives of SDG 13.
CLIMATE MITIGATION
Reducing GHG emissions that originate in human activity is the key goal of climate mitigation.
Large cooperatives contribute widely on this front, not only

Basing the analysis on annual and sustainability reports has both advantages and limitations. Given the difficulty of collecting data directly from organizations,
their annual and/or sustainability reports are the most complete sources of extra-economic data on them. However, reports necessarily underscore some actions
that organizations have implemented, not necessarily every action.
1“GRI helps businesses and governments worldwide understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, humanrights, governance and social well-being” (https://www.globalreporting.org/).
2

The SDG compass (www.sdgcompass.org) is a project jointly developed by the UN Global Compact, the GRI, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development(WBCSD) that “provides guidance for companies on how they can align their strategies as well as measure and manage their contribution to the realization of the SDGs.”
3

32

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13REPORT 2020

reducing their own emissions by taking action in their dayby-day operations but involving all the players in production
chains in medium-to-long-term projects, leveraging their
suppliers, members, and customers to adopt low-carbon
technologies and more sustainable behaviours.
This is the case, for example, of the Co-operative Group,
which aims to reduce its emissions by 50% by 2025
(compared to 2016 levels) and to reach zero emissions
by 2050. For the cooperative, however, it is not just aquestion of reducing emissions but also of improving
the efficiency of its entire production chain. For this reason, the Group launched the Co-op Enviro Map projectin 2016, a three-year project that aims to measure andimprove energy efficiency by reducing the carbon footprints of their supplying farms.
The S Group is also on the same path, aiming to be
the first carbon-negative Finnish company by 2025. To
achieve this goal, the Finnish cooperative group aims
both at energy efficiency and greater use of wind andsolar energy. However, the S Group has estimated that
90% of emissions are produced during product-manufacturing and use phases, so it has involved 107 partnercompanies in the Big Deal climate campaign to reduceclimate emissions by one million tons by 2030—equalto (as estimated by the cooperative) “eight million trips

by car from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, or the annual carbon footprint of 100,000 people in Finland.”In some cases, cooperatives’ actions synergize withthose of public administrations to transition entire
territories toward clean energy. For example, KREAN(a cooperative of the Mondragon Group), has started
collaborating with the local energy agency on the construction of a solar energy park (55 hectares, 67,000
panels, 24 MW installed, and 26 investment companies)
in Basque country.
Speaking of climate change mitigation, one cannot fail
to touch on the issue of plastic. Disposing of plastic is amajor problem for our oceans, where more than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped every year (United Nation
Environment program, 2017). However, plastic pollutionof the oceans is only one problem associated with its production and use. The entire life cycle of plastic is linked to
GHG emissions, from its production to disposal.
The problem of plastic and its disposal is an important issue among consumer cooperatives. For example,
the Midcounties (see box below) and MIGROSS (Switzerland) are working on reducing the plastic containedin packaging or permanently replacing it by optimizing
packaging, expanding plastic-recovery systems, andcontaining waste.

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13

33

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

INTERVIEW WITH PETER WESTALLCHIEF VALUES OFFICER AT MIDCOUNTIES CO-OPERATIVE
Midcounties Co-operative is a UK consumer cooperative in the retail sector. Peter Westall is also leading the ICETT Working
Group 3 focused on the World Cooperative Monitor and SDG 13. .

How does being a cooperative influence Midcounties’ ac-What are the key aspects and results of your 1 Change campaign?

tions on climate change?
Our 1 Change programme focuses on working with our memCoop Midcounties is one of the largest consumer co-opera-

bers, colleagues and communities to drive transformational

tives in the UK. In line with all co-operatives across the world,change to support climate action. Many of the over 1,000 ‘1

we are owned and controlled by our members. Our Board isChange’ pledges made by our members was around re-using

made up of elected members, with responsibilities including

waste plastics in some way. Members created “eco-bricks“,setting the Society’s objectives and strategy, monitoring de-which were used by one of our community partners, Fairy Talelivery of that strategy by management and ensuring that theFarm in Oxfordshire, to build animal houses. That simple ex-Society adheres to Co-operative values and principles. Our

ample helped educate local school children, as well as their

Executive team, led by our Chief Executive Phil Ponsonby, re-parents, of practical uses of waste plastic rather than disposal.

port into that Board. That Governance structure, and my Exec-In addition, we worked with members to set up collaborative

utive role as Chief Values Officer, is there to ensure that every

community tidy up activities, enabling over 700 volunteers to

aspect of the Society – from commercial decisions to culture

tidy up 380 bags of litter from the natural environment.

and ethos – has members and member voices always at the

Our members also told us of the ‘1 change’ they would like Mid-

forefront of thinking and co-operative values fully integrated.

counties to make to take climate action. We used that feedback

We launched the “Your Co-op Voice” programme two years

to shape our environmental commitments. This has resulted inago to improve the feedback we get from our members. Since

a range of positive impacts including reducing over 2 tonnes ofthen we have actioned nearly 100 surveys, receiving almost

plastic from our operations per year, and replacing single use

40,000 responses from members on a range of issues central

plastic carrier bags with compostable bags across all of ourto the development of our plans.

Food Stores, reducing 8 million plastic bags per year.

Our member-owners have told us that climate action is a realpriority to them, and that they want to be able to work with

What are the future prospects for the initiative?

us to understand what they can do, what we can do and what
we can all do together to take action on Climate Change. In

Our 1 Change programme will be a catalyst to further engage

response, we launched our “1 Change” campaign.

our members and communities in helping to achieve the UN

34

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13REPORT 2020

Sustainable Development Goals by driving behaviours around

serve their members most effectively and strengthen theissues such as climate action, responsible consumption, andcooperative movement by working together through local,

helping to build sustainable communities.

national, regional and international structures. The sharing

Increasingly, we are using member insight to influence theof best practice amongst all of us is fundamental to ensuring

development of values led products and services. Our mem-

co-ops remain relevant and effective for all our members.

bers have told us that they want us to support community

Our membership of ICETT has benefited us through learn-renewable energy, and to help increase the amount of com-

ing from other co-ops around the world, and this best prac-

munity energy generated in the UK. In response, our Co-op

tice sharing has helped us develop our own climate change

Energy trading group have launched our Community Powerprojects.

tariff – at the time of writing, the UK’s only consumer prod-

We have also enjoyed hosting visits from other co-ops to

uct providing 100% community-generated green energy. This

share our activity, including hosting a visit from Rabobank

forms part of our wider Co-op Community energy initiative,

last year to share best practice around our approach to cli-

which sees us working with over 90 community energy groups

mate action and how we are helping develop sustainableacross the UK to provide a route to market for unsubsidized

communities. We were delighted to be asked to share ourcommunity energy generation.

‘1 Change’ Climate Action programme earlier this year at a

We also aim to inspire our younger members and indeed

joint webinar between the ICA and UN, to share how we havethe next generation of co-operators by working with our 50

engaged members to take collective action to help tackle

partner schools to educate around climate action, helping

this issue.

to develop and showcase Co-operative solutions to the UN

The sheer scale and size of the global co-operative move-

Global Goals.

ment, and of the social and economic impact it has, isdemonstrated in this, the World Cooperative Monitor. That

What is the value in sharing best practices like this one

collective impact places our movement and each and every

within the cooperative movement?

co-operative in a unique position to raise member awareness & political influence on the importance of so many sub-The International Cooperative Alliance Statement on thejects, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals both

Cooperative Identity notes as Principle 6 that Cooperatives

today – and long into the future.

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13

35

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: BUILD KNOWLEDGE
AND CAPACITY TO MEET CLIMATE CHANGE

cess since 2016 by which almost 90% of the Group’s investments under self-management are rated according to theircompliance with the UN Global Compact to retain or divest

However, the contributions that large cooperatives can make toholdings considering the environmental impact.

combating climate change do not end with concrete actions in

Moreover, starting in 2018, Talanx no longer invests in com-their companies or production chains to reduce GHG emissions.

panies that derive more than 25% of their revenue or gener-

Cooperatives actively contribute by raising awareness of theate more than 25% of their power from coal. Along the samerisks associated with climate change, not only to the environ-lines, Rabobank (see box below) has also adopted rating pol-ment but also to public health and production and by support-

icies to encourage its customers to adopt more sustainable

ing communities and people damaged by natural disasters

behaviours.

caused by climate change.

Finally, talking about climate change vulnerability and the

Looking at actions aiming at raising awareness, several ex-

capacity to meet climate change, cooperatives actively con-amples can be found among cooperative initiatives to encour-tribute by supporting communities and people damaged byage employees, shareholders, partners, suppliers, commu-

natural disasters caused by climate change.

nities and customers toward more environmentally aware

The Co-operators in Canada, for example, integrates tech-

behaviour.

nology, modelling, and analytics to “better quantify risks and

IFFCO and the Buldana Urban Cooperative Credit Society havebuild the personal resilience of [their] clients.” Likewise, thefocused on engaging communities to plant trees and raising

Sancor Seguros Group in Argentina has organized teams ofawareness of their importance in the next generation. The twovolunteers that offer psychological support to the victims ofcooperatives joined the “Go Green Campaign” launched by thedisasters, whether due to human or climatic causes, in the

ICA Asia and Pacific Committee on Youth Cooperation to pro-context of the workplace. They seek to contain and accompa-

mote awareness of climate change, SDG 13, and the impor-

ny the insured, their families, and co-workers to mitigate thetance of planting trees.

emotional impact, facilitate social reintegration, and restore

In some cases, the aim of raising awareness is broader, en-routines. In this way, the early recovery and quality of life ofcouraging companies and customers to take more environ-those affected are favoured, preventing the development of

mentally sustainable actions. For this reason, the Talanx

chronic pathologies, the multiplication of victims, and the ju-

Group has been developing a Group-wide ESG screening pro-dicial processes of claims.

36

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13REPORT 2020

RABOBANK - INNOVATIVE BANKING FOR CLIMATECONSCIOUSNESSIN 2019:EUR

45.4 million(2018: 48.8) for future investmentsin the local community.

AGRI3 fund: partnership with UN
Environment to make a facility of USD

1 billion available to help farmers switch to more sustainable farming
and reforestation methods.

EUR

45.4 million

Accounted for

4.1 billion Euro(2018: 48.8) for future investments

through project finance in investmentsin the local community.

in sustainable energy generation

46 billion Euro in sustainable finance with over 200 million Euro issued
in impact loans to businesses with ameaningful sustainability label.

Rabobank started calculating its CO2
footprint in 1998, and its offices havebeen

100% climate neutral since2007

Rabobank is a financial services cooperative rooted in the

One of the ways Rabobank attempts to make a difference is

Dutch agricultural sector. Born from small agricultural co-through meaningful contributions to achieving the UN Sus-

operative banks founded in the late 19th century, Rabobank

tainable Development Goals (SDGs). To ensure the actions re-today is active in 39 countries with over 40,000 employees

main a priority and the bank’s decisions reflect this, Rabobank

worldwide. It provides financial products and services to cus-

has embedded contributing to the SDGs into their strategic

tomers in Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking, Rural Banking,planning. Examples of specific actions the group is taking in-

Private Banking, Vendor Finance, Leasing and Real Estate.

clude financing the food and agriculture sector to help boost

No matter how large it grows and diversifies across the foodthe world’s food supply, actively financing and investing inand agriculture sector, Rabobank remains committed to its

sustainable energy generation, instituting a Circular Businessfounding principles and to making a difference in society.

Desk for clients, increasing sustainability-linked products andClimate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13

37

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

financing sustainable housing solutions, and establishing key

Successful Together (SST) program, which set Rabobank’s

partnerships both in the Netherlands and beyond to support

sustainable development goals from 2015 to 2020 throughsustainable agriculture on a large scale. In 2019 Rabobank

concrete corporate targets incorporating sustainability in theparticipated in a group advising the European Commission onorganization, Rabobank then further developed the program

the SDGs contributing to the adoption of a Reflection Paper

to promote an all-encompassing change of perspective in“Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030”.

both corporate and retail clients.

With most of their members in the food and agriculture sec-

The program established 14 corporate key performance in-tor, Rabobank places a special importance on environmental

dicators (KPIs), divided into five thematic areas focused onprotection and the SDG 13 goal, climate action, recognizing

communities, sustainable agriculture and food supply, cor-

the urgency to act. In 2019, Rabobank contributed substan-porate clients, retail clients, and the cooperative’s efforts. To

tially to the establishment of the Dutch Climate Agreement

ensure coherence across the organization the program also

and together with 50 financial institutions signed the Climate

focused on increasing employee’s sustainability awareness by

Commitment Financial Sector which commits to the Dutch

providing sustainability training to staff and management at

Climate Agreement. To further climate action response Rabo-

local Rabobanks, to corporate bankers and to retail advisors.

bank is also committed to the Paris climate goals and the U.N.

Reaching the end of the established timeframe, Rabobank

Principles for Responsible Banking. Rabobank’s commitment

renewed its commitment by developing the Rabobank Sus-also extends through the work of the Rabobank Foundation

tainability Ambitions 2020 – 2024 (the medium-term plan) andwith, for example, support to over 5 million smallholder farm-launched “Growing A Better World Together” as its mission,ers in Africa, South America and Asia. But to instill a climate

further highlighting its ambition to integrate sustainabilitychange mindset within the entire organization, Rabobank has

into the bank’s core business. The goals established by theset a up company-wide Climate Program led by the Managing

medium-term plan have been organized into five themes as

Board, which has installed the Rabo SDG Banking Committee

focal points and are explained in a published booklet avail-to ensure Rabobank’s climate ambitions are met.

able online1. The first, “From Trend Analysis to Vision Devel-

The cooperative also believes in the importance of change

opment”, aims to develop long-term sustainability visions forstarting from the ground up, and knows that in order to be aeach sector, which will serve as a foundation for Rabobank’s

leader in the energy transition and climate smart agriculture,

sector policy, helping inform the decision of which sectors to

it must also empower its clients and members to prioritize

reduce, maintain or expand.

sustainability. Most recently, starting from the Sustainably

The second theme builds upon one of the successful out-1

https://www.rabobank.com/en/images/rabobanks-sustainability-ambitions-2020-2024.pdf

38

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13REPORT 2020

comes of the Sustainably Successful Together programme,

ing for Food (helping the agri-food sector meet the global

the Client Photo. This sustainability assessment tool for cor-demand for food) and Banking for the Netherlands strate-

porate clients will be further developed into an “e-rating”

gies and at the same time helping reduce Rabobank’s indi-client profile giving a sustainability score and measuring therect CO2 footprint. Lastly, in a further sign of commitment toclient’s impact on the SDGs. Rabobank intends to utilize thissustainability across the entire organization, the fifth theme,

tool during the client-acceptance processes.

“Integration in Performance Management”, deals with re-

The third theme, “From Performance Optimization per Client

cruitment, training and performance management practices.

to Transition Banking”, focuses on an analysis and scoring

Rabobank recruits staff with a proven interest in sustainable

methodology of client sustainability performance and SDG

and cooperative banking and supports the professional devel-

impact aiming to increase the number of clients who have aopment and training of colleagues in sustainability.

positive SDG impact and financial performance and persuadeSome of the key successes and results coming from the Sus-and support clients to make the transition to a sustainabletainability Successful Together and Rabobank Sustainability

way of doing business. “Distinctive Products and Services”,

Ambitions initiatives include increased investments in the lo-

the fourth theme, focuses instead on the product side, withcal community and the continuous development of products

the aim of developing more products that contribute to Bank-and services that help Rabobank’s clients mitigate climate

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13

39

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

risks and green their activities. An example of these products

Entrepreneurship Challenges were held in seven regions inand services comes from the housing sector, where Rabobank

the Netherlands to actively support an additional 250 entre-

encourages and finances energy efficiency in homes and sup-preneurs developing circular action plans.

ports local energy cooperatives generating sustainable ener-

To monitor progress on all fronts, the governance committee

gy. In the food and agribusiness sector Rabobank is working inestablished indicators on progress and works with the Pro-

partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme

gram Office and individual departments to report on targets.

Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), the World Business Council for

For example, Rabobank reports on its own carbon footprint

Sustainable Development (WBSCD), the Food and Agriculture

and sets annual targets to reduce it. However, accurately

Organization of the UN (FAO), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)measuring impact can be a challenge. For example, whileand others on a science-based targets-based measurement

Rabobank works to encourage reduced emissions from its

system for greenhouse gas emissions. Rabobank is attentive

clients, there is not always an agreed-upon scientific method-

to invest in funds that share its climate vision, for example

ology for certain calculations, such as carbon sequestration

the F&A Innovation Fund and SHIFT Invest. Additionally, Ra-in agriculture, a sector in which calculating carbon emissions

bobank is partnering with Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling (acan be complicated. But Rabobank continues to contribute to

Dutch Foundation whose mission is to limit food waste in thedeveloping climate impact measures and promoting their use

Netherlands) helping to save 61 million kilos of food a year inamong its clients. In the words of Berry Marttin, member ofDutch restaurants.

the Rabobank Managing Board, “We can and will make a dif-

Rabobank’s work with SMEs to promote transitioning into

ference as a financial services provider – by providing financial

circular enterprises has also been a key activity over recent

solutions with climate-related products and services – andyears. With assistance provided through the Circular Businessalso through our network and by sharing knowledge. This is

Desk, knowledge creation, networks, financial solutions, andnot easy and we are definitely not ready yet, but we accept thecircular economy challenges, Rabobank is helping its clients

responsibility and see the opportunity to become an even moretransition to a circular economy. In 2019 alone, 107 Circularmeaningful service provider for our members and clients.”

40

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13REPORT 2020

CONCLUSION
Through this research, we see some actions undertaken by

Many other actions could be highlighted by looking at the tar-large cooperatives to actively contrast climate change, andgets of other SDGs such as the fight against poverty reduc-many more examples surely exist within the cooperativetion, soil and ocean protection and much more.
But we need data to prove

movement.
Examples in the previous sections show thatthe strength of large cooperatives lies precisely
in the magnitude of theactions

implemented.

Promoting change does
not only mean acting on
the enterprise’s day-today operations, but itmeans promoting awareness-raisingactionspushing their partners,
members, and commu-“One of the things this pandemic has done
is to remind us just how closely the worldof work is connected to climate change andtherefore of the central role it must playin combating it. It’s precisely because thecooperative model aligns short-term actions
with long-term vision that it can give us
precious insight into how to confront global
crises, be it pandemic or climate change.”
ILO Director- General, Guy Rydernities to adopt more envi-

such contributions. It is
not enough to say cooperatives are environmentally and socially responsible businesses without
the data and analysis todemonstrate it. Cooperatives must communicate
the actions that demonstrate their fundamental
nature as ethical businesses both within andbeyond the cooperative
movement. The more they
participate

inreportingronmentally aware behaviors. It also means supporting com-initiatives that enable the collection of reliable and internation-

munities and vulnerable people in climate vulnerability, too.

ally comparable data, the more research and analysis can be

The examples analyzed highlight only a part of the contribution

done to demonstrate their social and economic impact.

that cooperatives are making to environmental protection.

Climate Action - what large cooperatives can do to meet SGD 13

41

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

2018 RESULTS
AND RANKINGS

42

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

REPORT 2020

The World Cooperative Monitor is a project designed to col-2020 edition of the World Cooperative Monitor is from thelect robust economic, organisational,and social data about

year 2018. The primary sources of data include annual andcooperatives, mutual organisations and non-cooperative

sustainability reports, existing databases of economic data,

enterprises controlled by cooperatives worldwide. It is thedata collected by national associations, research institutes,

only report of its kind collecting annual quantitative data on

and other organisations, and the use of a questionnaire to

the global cooperative movement. The data collected for thecollect data directly from enterprises.

Data for 2018 comes from:

Existing rankings

47%

Desk research

23.4%

Private databases

27.3%

Submitted

2.3%This report presents rankings based on turnover as well as(104 enterprises) and insurance (101 enterprises) followed

the ratio of turnover over Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per

by wholesale and retail trade (57 organizations). However,capita. The ratio of turnover over GDP per capita measuresconsidering the weight of the enterprises by sector based

the turnover of the Top 300 cooperative and mutual enter-on turnover, the insurance sector covers 34.5% of the total

prises in terms of the purchasing power of an economy,

turnover (758.54 billion USD), followed by agriculture (532.11

relating the turnover of the enterprise to the wealth of thebillion USD, equal to 24.2% of the total turnover of the Top300)

country. It does not compute the contribution of each enter-

and wholesale and retail trade (459.36 billion USD, equal toprise to the national GDP. Rather, it measures the size of the

20.9% of the total Top300).

enterprise in its national context. Employment data is also

With regards to type, the majority of enterprises are produc-presented for the Top 300 where available.

er (133, to which is added one producer/consumer), followed

The following results focus on the top 300 in the database,by mutual (83) and consumer/user (65). 13 of the top 300 are

which are distributed geographically as shown in the map on

non-cooperatives controlled by cooperatives, while only 3 are

the following page. The sectors with the most organizations

worker cooperatives and 2 are multi-stakeholder cooperatives.

present in the Top 300 are agriculture and food industries

2018 Results and Rankings

43

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 300 TOTAL TURNOVER:

2,145.79 BILLION US$

TOP 300 TURNOVER USD
TOP 300 TURNOVER USD
Geographical distribution
EUROPE_AMERICAS_
USA
CanadaBrazilArgentina
Total

44

74
8
4
2
88

2018 Results and Rankings

FranceGermany
Netherlands
Italy
FinlandDenmark
Spain
NorwaySwedenUK
Austria
Switzerland
Belgium
Ireland
Poland
Total

44
30
17
12
10
9
8
7
7
6
5
5
4
1
1
166

ASIA-PACIFIC_Japan
New ZealandAustralia
Republic of Korea
India
Singapore
Malaysia
Saudi Arabia
Total

24
7
4
4
3
2
1
1
46

REPORT 2020

TOP 300 TURNOVER USD
Type

Producer

MutualConsumer/user

Non coop
controlled by coop(s)133 44.3%
83 27.7%
65 21.7%

Worker3

1%

2

Multistakeholder

Producer+
Consumer/user

1

0.7%

0.3%

13 4.3%

TOP 300 TURNOVER USD
Turnover bracket (US$)
30-100 BLN

16

10-30 BLN

33

5-10 BLN

55

2-5 BLN94

0-2 BLN

102

2018 Results and Rankings

45

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 300 TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
TOP 300 TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
Geographical distribution

EUROPE_AMERICAS_
USA
Colombia
CanadaBrazilArgentina
Costa Rica
Uruguay
Total

45
12
8
6
4
1
1
77

AFRICA:
_
Kenya
Total

46

2018 Results and Rankings

1
1

FranceGermany
Italy
Netherlands
Spain
FinlandSwedenUK
Denmark
UK
Austria
Switzerland
Belgium
NorwayPolandTurkeyIreland
Total

46
30
17
16
11
10
7
7
6
6
5
5
4
4
3
2
1
174

ASIA-PACIFIC_Japan
New Zealand
India
Republic of Korea
Australia
Singapore
Malaysia
Saudi Arabia
Total

26
7
5
4
2
2
1
1
48

REPORT 2020

TOP 300 TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITAType

127 42.3%

Producer

Mutual

76 25.3%

Non coop
controlled by coop(s)Producer+
Consumer/user

70 23.3%

Consumer/user

10 3.3%

WorkerMultistakeholder

1

0.3%

1

0.3%

15 5.0%2018 Results and Rankings

47

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYMETHODOLOGYAND DATA SOURCES

48

2018 Results and Rankings

REPORT 2020

The methodology for the 2020 World Cooperative Monitor isthis point a continuous exercise of refinement over the years,

briefly described below, the full version is available at www.

is leading to a continuous improvement of the data collected.

monitor.coop. A summary of the population under study,
data collection, classifications and methodology of the rank-

CLASSIFICATIONS

ings is provided. The methodology of the chapter on SDG 13
is within the chapter.

The project classifies the cooperative organisations by economic activity and cooperative type (International Labour Or-

WHO IS SURVEYED

ganisation, 2018).
Information on the economic activity or industrial sector of

The project collects data on large cooperative enterprises andeach organisation is collected and classified into ten cate-

aggregations of cooperatives, mutual, and non-cooperative

gories, each of which mainly reflects the structure of ICA

enterprises in which cooperatives have a controlling interest.

sectoral organisations. The classification into the ten cate-

The project focuses on units that carry out economic activi-

gories is determined by the International Standard Indus-

ty for the production of goods or services for their members.

trial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) or re-

Cooperative unions and federations that mainly carry out lob-gional and national equivalents class, in which the activity

bying, representation, and protection of the interests of asso-of the cooperative is included. If a cooperative combines two

ciated cooperatives are not covered by the project.

or more economic activities, the main economic activity is

The organization types to be surveyed are currently underidentified following international methods and standards.1 In

revision by the World Cooperative Monitor team and Advisory

the sector rankings, some economic activities are combined

Committee to better compare organizations across coun-

to form more general sectors, as described in the rankings

tries, sectors, and types. The difficulty lies in the fact thatparagraph.

finding a definition that is shared by different countries isUnits are also classified based on the main interest of theircomplicated. There are very different regulations and laws

members (Table 1).

between one country and another in this regard and finding
a way to define all organizations through a unique classification, which can at the same time take into account andenhance the peculiarities of the different systems is complicated and challenging. Moreover, cooperatives that enter the
top 300 classification of the WCM, given their size, are real
giants from an economic point of view and therefore theirstructure is in most cases very complex and branched. On“The principal activity of the unit in general can usually be determined fromthe goods that it sells or ships or the services that it renders to other units or
consumers. […] Ideally, the principal activity of the unit should be determinedwith reference to the value added to the goods and services produced. The
relevant valuation concept is gross value added at basic prices, defined as thedifference between output at basic prices and intermediate consumption atpurchaser’s prices.” (UN 2008, p. 20).
1

Methodology and data sources

49

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYTABLE 1.
Cooperative type classification
The main interest of the members is related to their production activity as enterprises in
Producer cooperatives

their own right. The members typically comprise household market enterprises such as
small agricultural or craft producers but may also include corporations.
Members share an interest in the work which is provided by or ensured through the coop-

Worker cooperatives

erative. The members are individual workers (worker members) whose jobs are directly
assured through their cooperative.
Members are the consumers or users of the goods or services made available by or

Consumer/User coops

through the cooperative. Financial service cooperatives are classified as part of consumer/user cooperatives even if these cooperatives also service producers.
A cooperative which has more than one type of member with significant involvement in
the activity of the cooperative and in which: (i) more than one type of member is repre-

Multi-stakeholder coops

sented in the governance structure of the cooperative; and (ii) no type of member has adominant position through a majority of votes in the governing body or an exclusive vetoover decisions.

Source: (International Labour Organisation, 2018)

In the cases of cooperatives with members’ interest different from those proposed in Table 1, they will be analysed caseby case. Mutuals and non-cooperative enterprises (noted as “non-coop” in the rankings) are classified as such. Almost all
non-cooperative enterprises are those controlled by cooperative(s) except one case of employee-ownership enterprise.

50

Methodology and data sources

REPORT 2020

INDICATORSRANKINGS

The project collects primarily economic data, along withIn the rankings tables, in addition to the Top 300 rankings,

data, where possible, on work generated, calculated using

a list of the largest cooperatives in each individual sector is

the total head count at the balance sheet year-end date, but

presented. The rankings presented are based on turnover

also taking into account the data of Full-time equivalents or

data, defined as the income generated by the business ac-

average data of the employed for the year in case data on

tivities conducted by a company, usually the sales of goods

head count are not available.

and services to customers. In the case of the Insurance sec-

Annual turnover data is collected for the all the entities. In

tor, this is premium income. For the Financial Service sec-

the case of a cooperative group, the consolidated data is tak-tor, this is the sum of net interest income, net premiums

en into account. If the consolidated data is not available, if

and other operating income, such as deposit and payment

possible the turnover of the entities that make up the groupservice charges, lending fees and credit card service reve-are considered, excluding the amount of value resulting fromnues, income from brokerage and investment fund services,

operations within the group, meaning operations among

management and custodial service fees, foreign exchange

members of the group.

income as well as other income. However, this value was

The present report refers to data from the year 2018. For

used solely for the Financial Service ranking. In the Top 300

all the economic data, the account closing date is 31 March,ranking, to achieve a more homogeneous comparison, thewhich means that data for accounts whose closing date oc-

sum of interest income, non-interest income (income fromcurs between 01/04/2018 and 31/03/2019 are considered asbanking services and sources other than interest-bearing

representing economic activity in year 2018.

assets) and premium income (if the organization also pro-

Data is collected in the local currency and then converted

vides insurance services) was utilized for financial service

into USD. The average monthly 2018 exchange rate wasorganisations. This methodology creates the most homoge-

utilized. Note that the conversion to USD from Local cur-neity possible among data sources but note that there could

rency unit (LCU) is impacted by the fluctuations from year

be variations among countries and existing rankings regard-

to year. Economic data are reported in billion (1 billion =ing calculations and values used. When available, the num-

1,000,000,000). The absolute values are rounded to the sec-

ber of employees is also listed.

ond decimal place and percentages are rounded to the near-In addition to rankings based on turnover, a Top 300 rank-

est whole number.

ing based on the ratio of turnover over gross domestic prod-

Methodology and data sources

51

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

uct (GDP) per capita is also presented. The purpose of thissets developed at the national/regional level by representative

ranking is to neutralize the differences between the different

associations of cooperatives and mutual societies and othercountries due to differences in purchasing power and there-

private databases that gather personal and economic data

fore the different cost of living that differentiates the individ-

about cooperative organisations from across the world. A ques-ual countries: this allows a greater comparison of turnover.

tionnaire directed at the largest cooperatives was also utilized.

Some of the economic activities described above are grouped

Also with regard to the employment data, the working group

into sectors for the sector rankings: fishing is included in thehas used various sources, online research, the questionnaire

agriculture and food industries sector, industry and utilities

completed by the organization, data collected from lists at

are grouped together, as are housing and other services.

the national level and data collected in databases.
The direct involvement of federations and cooperatives is essen-

DATA SOURCES

tial to ensuring good coverage in different areas of the world.
For this reason, ICA promotes the creation of national monitors

Data is collected through online research and consultation ofwhich, following the methodology of the international project,financial statements and annual reports integrated with data-collect data on the largest cooperatives active in the country.

ECONOMIC DATA SOURCES 2020 WORLD COOPERATIVE MONITOR DATABASE

23.4%
Desk research

27.3%
Private Database

2.3%
Submitted

47%
Existing rankings

52

Methodology and data sources

REPORT 2020

TABLE 2: RANKINGS, PUBLISHED LISTS, AND DATA SETS COLLECTED – 2020
COUNTRY

NAME OF ORGANISATIONNAME OF PUBLICATION OR RANKING ACCESSED WHERE EXISTING

Australia

Centre for EntrepreneurialManagement and Innovation (CEMI)

Mazzarol, T. (2019) “Australia’s Leading Co-operative and Mutual Enterprisesin 2019” CEMI Discussion Paper Series, DP 1901, Centre for EntrepreneurialManagement and Innovation, www.cemi.com.au

Colombia

Confecoop - Confederación de
Cooperativas de Colombia (COLCoop)2018 Confecoop database

FinlandPellervo Society (Pellervo)

Finnish 300+ 2018-2017

FranceCoop de France

LES 100 PLUS GRANDES ENTREPRISES COOPÉRATIVES FRANÇAISES édition 2020

Portugal

Cases - As cem Maiores Cooperativas

Report Cases - Top 100 cooperatives 2018

Spain

Confederación Empresarial Española
de la Economía Social (CEPES)

Ranking de Empresas Relevantes de la Economía Social

UK

Co-operatives UK

Co-operative Economy 2018

USA

National Cooperative Bank (NCB)

The 2019 NCB Coop 100

USA

United States Department ofAgriculture Rural Development (USDA)

Agricultural Cooperative Statistics 2018, Report 82 - Top 100 Agriculture Cooperatives, 2018 and 2017

Orbis - Bureau van Dijk database (Orbis)*

Cooperatives with turnover above 300 million USD* https://www.bvdinfo.com/en-gb/our-products/data/international/orbis

Methodology and data sources

53

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYSECTOR RANKINGS

54

Impact and reactions of cooperatives to COVID-19

REPORT 2020

The following pages present the World Cooperative Monitor rankings by sector of activity. The
results presented in the rankings are to be considered exploratory, not exhaustive. The methodology found on page 48 provides details concerning the data collection and analysis; however,some key points to keep in mind regarding the rankings include:–

If an organisation performs more than(banking income for banks, premium

one activity, it is categorized in the sec-

income for insurance cooperatives andtor representing its primary activity. Or-

mutuals, and turnover for other coop-ganizations are classified by economic
activity, in some cases multiple eco-–eratives).
–

The rankings in this edition are based

nomic activities have been combinedon data from 2018. To create the Top 300

into a sector.

and sector rankings based on U.S. Dol-Comparisons among cooperatives inlars (USD) the 2018 average exchange

different sectors should be made with

rate was utilized. Note that the conver-

due caution, keeping in mind that vary-sion to USD from Local currency unit

ing economic indicators have been

(LCU) is impacted by the fluctuations

used for different types of organisations

from year to year.

Sector Rankings

55

AGRICULTURE
AND FOOD
INDUSTRIESEXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

56

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

This section includes all cooperatives that operate
along the entire agricultural value chain, starting fromthe cultivation of agricultural products and livestock
farming to the industrial processing of agricultural
products and animals. This sector includes both
agricultural producers’ cooperatives and consortia
of cooperatives (or similar arrangements) that carryout the processing and marketing of agricultural
goods for their members. Organizations in the fishingsector are included. Agricultural cooperatives exist
in almost every country around the world. They arevery well represented in both developed and emerging
economies and contribute to food security and poverty
reduction in different areas of the world. They help
farmers increase their returns and income by poolingtheir resources to support collective arrangements
and economic empowerment.

From this sector, there arein theand106

Top 300 based on turnover

98 in the Top 300 turnover

over GDP per capita

Sector Rankings

57

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER USD
RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCENUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES2018

FTE ORHEADCOUNT

1

1

Zen-NohJapan

producer

56.15

submitted

7,960

Headcount22Nonghyup (NACF)

Republic of
Korea

producer

41.41

submitted

100,594

Headcount

3

3

CHS Inc.

USAproducer

32.68

desk research

10,495

Headcount

44

Bay WaGermany

non coop

19.64

desk research

17,864

Headcount

5

6

Land O’Lakes

USA

producer

14.94

desk research

10,000FTE

68

Fonterra
Cooperative GroupNew Zealandproducer

14.15

desk research

22,358FTE

7

9HokurenJapan

producer

13.86

Orbis

1,950

not indicated8

7

FrieslandCampina

Netherlands

producer

13.65

desk research

23,769FTE

95Dairy Farmersof AmericaUSA

producer

13.63

NCB

8,000+

Headcount

10

10

Arla Foods

Denmarkproducer

12.32

desk research

19,190FTE

58

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
RANK
2018

RANK
2016

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP per
CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

1

1

IFFCO*

India

producer

3,715,708.48

submitted

2

2

Gujarat Cooperative
Milk Marketing
Federation Ltd

India

producer

2,419,575.24

desk research

3

4

Zen-NohJapan

producer

1,433,801.11

submitted

43Nonghyup (NACF)

Republic of Korea

producer

1,242,003.08

submitted

55Copersucar SA

Brazilnon coop

886,227.72

desk research

66KribhcoIndia

producer

680,632.01

desk research

7

7

CHS Inc.

USAproducer

520,104.02

desk research

8

10

Coamo

Brazilproducer

433,471.45

desk research

98

Bay WaGermany

non coop

412,348.01

desk research

10

9

HokurenJapan

producer

353,930.11

Orbis*Turnover includes subsidiaries and joint ventures

Sector Rankings

59

INDUSTRYAND UTILITIESEXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

60

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

This section includes cooperatives operating inindustrial sectors with the exception of the foodindustry as well as those whose economic activity
deals with utilities. It includes worker cooperatives in
the construction sector and users’ cooperatives in theutilities sector, that is, cooperatives that are active in the
management of infrastructure for a public service, suchas electricity, natural gas, and water. Energy and otherpublic services are sectors in which cooperatives arestrongly motivated by ethical-cultural considerations
and innovation. Often, they are committed to“green” energy and employ a more sustainable andresponsible model of development, while providing local
communities with the power to intervene directly intheir own futures.

From this sector, there arein theand10

Top 300 based on turnover

5 in the Top 300 turnover

over GDP per capita

Copyright: bearfotos - it.freepik.com
Sector Rankings

61

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER USD
RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCENUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES2018

FTE ORHEADCOUNT

1

1

Corporación
Mondragón

Spainworker

14.43

desk research

81,837

Headcount2

2

Basin Electric Power
CooperativeUSA

consumer/
user

2.44

desk research

3

3

SACMI

Italy

worker

1.70

Orbis

4,472

Headcount

4

4

Oglethorpe Power
CorporationUSA

consumer/
user

1.48

desk research

5

6Central Electric Power
Cooperative, Inc.

USA

consumer/
user

1.38

NCB

6

5

Tri-State G&T
AssociationUSA

consumer/
user

1.32

NCB

7

8

Associated Electric
Cooperative Inc.

USA

consumer/
user

1.21

desk research

8

10North Carolina Electric
Membership Corp.

USA

consumer/
user

1.19

NCB

9

-

Osaka KOIKINAMAKONKURITO KD

Japan

producer

1.19

Orbis

19

not indicated10-

SEAS-NVE A.M.B.A

Denmark

consumer/
user

1.18

desk research

978

not indicated62

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
RANK
2018

RANK
2016

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP
per CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

1

1

Corporación
Mondragón

Spainworker475,726.94

desk research

2-

ULCCS LtdIndia

worker

83,454.85

submitted

3

3

SACMI

Italy

worker

49,382.06

Orbis

4

2

Basin Electric Power
CooperativeUSA

consumer/user

38,775.86

desk research

5-

Osaka KOIKINAMAKONKURITO KD

Japan

producer

30,312.25

Orbis

6

-

Orcab

Franceproducer

24,992.37

CoopFR - Top 100

7

7

Oglethorpe Power
CorporationUSA

consumer/user

23,553.67

desk research

89Central Electric Power
Cooperative, Inc.

USA

consumer/user

22,024.18

NCB

9

8

Tri-State G&T
AssociationUSA

consumer/user

21,021.64

NCB

10

-

Consorzio Integrasocietà cooperativa

Italy

worker20,443.36

desk research

Sector Rankings

63WHOLESALEAND RETAIL TRADE

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

64

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

This section includes retailers’ cooperatives formed topurchase and supply goods and services at competitive
conditions in the interest of their members (which areclassified as producer cooperatives in the cooperative
typology) and consumer cooperatives operating inwholesale and retail activities (which are classified
as consumer/user cooperatives in the cooperative
typology). As is the case with cooperatives in general,
the aim of cooperatives in this sector is not tomaximize profits, but to be of use to their members
and defend their interests. The goals of cooperatives
include fostering sustainable development of local
communities, promoting environmental concerns andensuring the health and safety of consumers. With
strength in numbers, cooperatives are able to further
these aims through their ability to purchase and supply
goods and services at competitive conditions in theinterest of their members.
From this sector, there arein theand57

Top 300 based on turnover

64 in the Top 300 turnover

over GDP per capita

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Sector Rankings

65

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER USD
RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCENUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES2018

FTE ORHEADCOUNT1

1REWE Group

Germany

producer

63.07

desk research

234,017

Headcount2

2

ACDLEC - E. Leclerc

Franceproducer

55.08

CoopFR - Top
100

129,000

Headcount

3

3

Edeka Zentrale

Germany

producer

40.50

desk research

376,000

Headcount44

Coop Swiss

Switzerland

consumer/
user

31.35

desk research

86,132

Headcount

55Migros

Switzerland

consumer/
user

29.09

desk research

106,622

Headcount

6

6

Système U

Franceproducer

23.56

CoopFR - Top100

72,857

Headcount

7

7

Coop*

Italy

consumer/
user

17.49

desk research

88Conad*

Italy

producer

15.90

desk research

56,005

Headcount9

9John Lewis Partnership PLC

UK

non coop**

13.79

desk research

83,900

Headcount10-

SOK (S- Group)*

Finlandconsumer/
user

13.61

submitted

38,000

Headcount*The figure includes the central and single coops

66

Sector Rankings**Employee-owned enterpriseREPORT 2020

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
RANK
2018

RANK
2016

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP
perCAPITA 2018

SOURCE

12

REWE Group

Germany

producer

1,323,867.84

desk research

2

1

ACDLEC - E. Leclerc

Franceproducer

1,323,125.71

CoopFR - Top 100

3

3

Edeka Zentrale

Germany

producer

850,165.03

desk research

44

Système U

Franceproducer

565,918.63

CoopFR - Top 100

5

5

Coop*

Italy

consumer/user

506,566.52

desk research

66

Conad*

Italy

producer

460,701.72

desk research7

7

Coop Swiss

Switzerland

consumer/user

378,498.06

desk research88Migros

Switzerland

consumer/user

351,229.70

desk research

99John Lewis PartnershipPLC

UK

non coop**

320,294.01

desk research

10

10

Co-operative Group
LimitedUK

consumer/user

315,491.17

desk research*The figure includes the central and single coops**Employee-owned enterprise

Sector Rankings

67

INSURANCEEXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

68

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

This section focuses on mutual organisations andcooperatives owned and democratically controlled
by their insured customers. Insurance cooperatives
and mutuals focus on the long-term needs of theircustomers and on delivering high quality products atfair prices. According to the International Cooperativeand Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF), mutual orcooperative insurers serve more than 900 million people
worldwide. Their contribution is crucial within thesocial protection system, enabling members to obtain
insurance policies at more favourable conditions thanthose available on the open market.

From this sector, there arein theand101

Top 300 based on turnover

96 in the Top 300 turnover

over GDP per capita

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Sector Rankings

69

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER USD
RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCENUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES2018

FTE ORHEADCOUNT

1

1

ZenkyorenJapan

producer

58.14

submitted

6,548

Headcount2

2

Nippon LifeJapan

mutual54.98

desk research

86,017

Headcount3

3

State FarmUSA

mutual43.43

desk research

44Talanx Group

Germany

mutual41.22

desk research

21,673

not indicated55

Liberty MutualUSAmutual37.91

desk research

45,000+not indicated6

6

Meiji Yasuda LifeJapan

mutual

27.91

desk research

47,816

Headcount

7

7

Sumitomo LifeJapan

mutual23.60

desk research

42,954

Headcount8

9AchmeaNetherlands

consumer/
user

23.53

desk research

16,636FTE

9-MassMutual Financial

USAmutual22.93

desk research

10

10

COVEA

Francemutual20.00

desk research

23,000

Headcount70

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
RANK
2018

RANK
2016

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDPperCAPITA 2018

SOURCE

1

1

ZenkyorenJapan

producer

1,484,625.92

submitted

2

2

Nippon LifeJapan

mutual

1,403,879.42

desk research

3

4Talanx Group

Germany

mutual865,212.31

desk research

4

6

Meiji Yasuda LifeJapan

mutual712,758.24

desk research

55State FarmUSA

mutual

691,056.43

desk research

6

7

Liberty MutualUSAmutual603,262.06

desk research

73

Sumitomo LifeJapan

mutual602,722.44

desk research

8

9

COVEA

Francemutual

480,349.69

desk research

910

AchmeaNetherlands

consumer/user

443,631.68

desk research

108Unipol Gruppo

Italy

non coop

422,675.00

submitted

Sector Rankings

71FINANCIALSERVICEEXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

72

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

This section refers to cooperative banks and credit
unions providing banking and financial intermediation
services, democratically controlled by member
customers (borrowers and depositors). In the financial
service sector, cooperatives play a central role insupporting economic development. Even during therecent economic crisis, cooperatives have remained
more stable than other banks, continuing to provide
trustworthy financial support for their members.

From this sector, there arein theand21

Top 300 based on turnover

24 in the Top 300 turnover

over GDP per capita

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Sector Rankings

73

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER USD
RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

BANKING
INCOME 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCENUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES2018

FTE ORHEADCOUNT

1

1Groupe Crédit Agricole

Franceconsumer/
user

40.62

desk research

140,882

FTE

2

2

BVR

Germany

consumer/
user

32.41

desk research

33Groupe BPCE

Franceconsumer/
user

28.36

desk research

105,458

Headcount

44Groupe Crédit MutuelFranceconsumer/
user

16.62

desk research

69,640

Headcount

5

6

Mouvement Desjardins

Canadaconsumer/
user

11.23

submitted

46,216

Headcount

6

5

Rabobank

Netherlands

consumer/
user

10.50

submitted

43,822

Headcount77

RBI (Raiffeisen BankInternational)

Austria

consumer/
user

6.26

desk research

47,079FTE

8

8Navy Federal Credit
Union

USA

consumer/
user

5.89

desk research

910

Raiffeisen group

Switzerland

consumer/
user

2.93

desk research

11,853Headcount

10

9

The Norinchukin bankJapan

non coop

2.59

desk research

3,615

Headcount

74

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
RANK
2018

RANK
2016

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

BANKING INCOME
2018/GDPperCAPITA 2018

SOURCE

1

1Groupe Crédit Agricole

Franceconsumer/user

975,599.45

desk research

24Groupe BPCE

Franceconsumer/user

681,174.18

desk research

3

2

BVR

Germany

consumer/user

680,413.77

desk research

43Groupe Crédit MutuelFranceconsumer/user

399,293.34

desk research

5

6

Mouvement Desjardins

Canadaconsumer/user

242,378.15

submitted

68SicrediBrazilconsumer/user

210,561.19

desk research

7

5

Rabobank

Netherlands

consumer/user

197,850.20

submitted

8

7

Co-operative Bank of
Kenya Ltd (CBK)Kenya

non coop

177,913.57

desk research

910

RBI (Raiffeisen BankInternational)

Austria

consumer/user

121,479.75

desk research

10-

Navy Federal
Credit Union

USA

consumer/user

93,771.93

desk research

Sector Rankings

75

EDUCATION,HEALTHAND SOCIAL WORKEXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

76

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

This section includes cooperatives that manage
educational, health or social services. These may
include consumer (user), producer (provider) andmultistakeholder social and health cooperatives that
seek to provide high-quality, cost-effective community
health care and social services. The contributions ofhealth and social care cooperatives range from medical
intervention to the prevention of disease and theimprovement of general health outcomes and collective
well-being. The impact of these organisations is all
the more important given the increasing demands on
welfare systems around the world due in part to cuts inpublic funding and an aging population.
From this sector, there arein theand2

Top 300 based on turnover

7 in the Top 300 turnover

over GDP per capita

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Sector Rankings

77

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER USD
RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCE

1

1

HealthPartners Inc.

USA

consumer/
user

7.06

NCB

2

2

Fundación Espriu

Spainworker

1.92

3-

Naganoken Kosei
Nogyo KRJapan

producer

43

Confederação Nacional das Cooperativas
Médicas Unimed do
Brasil - Central Nacional Unimed

Brazil5-

Hokkaido Welfare
Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives

6

-

7

78

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES2018

FTE ORHEADCOUNT

submitted

6,182

Headcount

0.90

Orbis

7,659

not indicatedworker0.86

desk researchJapanproducer

0.77

Orbis

4,280

not indicatedJapan Culture andWelfare Federationof Agricultural
Cooperatives

Japan

producer

0.66

Orbis

97

not indicated-Comparta

Colombia

consumer/
user

0.50

desk research

85Asmet Salud Eps Sas

Colombia

consumer/
user

0.43

desk research

9-

Greenwich Leisure
LimitedUK

worker0.40

Co-operativeUK

14,063

not indicated10-

Coosalud S.A.

Colombia

consumer/
user

0.34

Cenicoop,
Confecoop612

not indicatedSector Rankings

REPORT 2020

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
RANK
2018

RANK
2016

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP
perCAPITA 2018

SOURCE

1

2

HealthPartners Inc.

USA

consumer/user

112,380.61

NCB

2

1

Confederação Nacional das Cooperativas
Médicas Unimed do
Brasil - Central Nacional Unimed

Brazilworker

95,859.04

desk research

3-Comparta

Colombia

consumer/user

74,294.13

desk research

4-

Asmet Salud Eps Sas

Colombia

consumer/user

64,264.60

desk research

53Fundación Espriu

Spainworker63,172.60

submitted

64Coosalud S.A.

Colombia

consumer/user

50,984.92

Cenicoop,
Confecoop

7-

Emssanar SAS

Colombia

consumer/user

49,485.31

Cenicoop,
Confecoop

8-

Naganoken Kosei
Nogyo KRJapan

producer

22,964.81

Orbis

9

-

Hokkaido Welfare Federation of Agricultural
Cooperatives

Japan

producer

19,575.34

Orbis

10

-

UCC - Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia

Colombia

16,979.13

Cenicoop,
Confecoop

Sector Rankings

79

OTHERSERVICESEXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

80

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

This section covers all cooperatives that provide
services other than those included in education,
health and social work, including housing, cooperative
business services, communications and transportation.
The cooperatives in this sector show the variety of
sectors of activity in which cooperatives may operate aswell as the potential areas for further development ofservice-oriented cooperatives.

From this sector, there arein theand3

Top 300 based on turnover

6 in the Top 300 turnover

over GDP per capita

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Sector Rankings

81

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER USD
RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCENUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES2018

FTE ORHEADCOUNT

1-

Nihon Delica Foods
AssociationJapan

producer

4.60

Orbis

21

not indicated2-

Selectour

Franceproducer

3.25

CoopFR - Top
100

4,069

Headcount

3

1

OBOS BBL

Norwayconsumer/
user

1.62

desk research

2,614

not indicated4-

Manutencoop

Italy

worker

1.13

Orbis

15,519Headcount5

3

Coopservice

Italy

worker

1.12

desk research

22,214

not indicated

6

2

HSB Riksförbund

Swedenconsumer/
user

0.94

submitted

3,218

Headcount

7

5

CNS

Italy

worker0.90

desk research

108

headcount

8

4

Riksbyggen (co-operative Housing Union)

Swedenconsumer/
user

0.89

desk research

3,020

not indicated9-

CIR S.C. (CIR FOOD
S.C.)

Italy

worker

0.80

Orbis

13,095

Headcount10-

F.A.I. SERVICE

Italy

worker

0.69

Orbis

65

Headcount82

Sector Rankings

REPORT 2020

TOP 10 BY TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
RANK
2018

RANK
2016

ORGANISATIONCOUNTRY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP
perCAPITA 2018

SOURCE

1-

Nihon Delica Foods
AssociationJapan

producer

117,520.33

Orbis

2

2

Selectour

Franceproducer

78,047.96

CoopFR - Top 100

3-

Manutencoop

Italy

worker32,729.13

Orbis

4

-

Coopservice

Italy

worker32,363.22

desk research

5-

Spółdzielnia
Wydawniczo-Handlowa"Książka i Wiedza”

Polandworker29,362.45

Orbis

6

5

CNS

Italy

worker

26,031.55

desk research

7-

CIR S.C. (CIR FOOD
S.C.)

Italy

worker

23,292.78

Orbis

8

-

F.A.I. SERVICE

Italy

worker

19,891.99

Orbis

9

9

OBOS BBL

Norwayconsumer/user

19,809.74

desk research

10

10

HSB Riksförbund

Swedenconsumer/user

17,231.20

submitted

Sector Rankings

83

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

TOP 300: RANKINGSAND EMPLOYMENT DATABY TURNOVER USD

84

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

85

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

TOP 300 LARGEST COOPERATIVE AND MULTUAL ORGANISATIONS BY TURNOVER (IN US DOLLARS)
RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

1

1Groupe Crédit Agricole

EuropeFrance89.10

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

140,882

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

2

3

REWE Group

EuropeGermany

63.07

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

234,0172018 average

Headcountdesk research

32Groupe BPCE

EuropeFrance63.01

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

105,458

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

4

5

Zenkyoren

Asia and Pacific

Japan

58.14

submitted

Insurance

producer

6,548

31/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

59

Zen-NohAsia and Pacific

Japan

56.15

submitted

Agriculture and food industries

producer

7,960

31/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

68

ACDLEC - E. Leclerc

EuropeFrance55.08

CoopFR - Top 100

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

129,000

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

7

6

Nippon Life

Asia and Pacific

Japan

54.98

desk research

Insurance

mutual

86,01731/03/2019

Headcountdesk research

814Groupe Crédit MutuelEuropeFrance48.72

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

69,64031/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

97State Farm

Americas

USA

43.43

desk research

Insurance

mutual1010Nonghyup (NACF)

Asia and PacificRepublic of Korea

41.41

submitted

Agriculture and food industries

producer

100,594

31/12/2018

Headcount1111Talanx Group

EuropeGermany

41.22

desk research

Insurance

mutual

21,673in 2018

not indicateddesk research

12

12

Edeka Zentrale

EuropeGermany

40.50

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

376,0002018 average

Headcountdesk research

13

4

BVR

EuropeGermany

40.05

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

14

13

Liberty Mutual

Americas

USA

37.91

desk research

Insurance

mutual

45,000+not indicated

not indicateddesk research

15

15

CHS Inc.

Americas

USA

32.68

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

10,49531/08/2018

Headcountdesk research16

16

Coop Swiss

EuropeSwitzerland

31.35

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

86,132

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research17

17

MigrosEuropeSwitzerland

29.09

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

106,6222018 average

Headcountdesk research18

18

Meiji Yasuda Life

Asia and Pacific

Japan

27.91

desk research

Insurance

mutual

47,81631/03/2019

Headcountdesk research

19

19

Sumitomo Life

Asia and Pacific

Japan

23.60

desk research

Insurance

mutual

42,954

not indicatedHeadcountdesk research

20

22

Système U

EuropeFrance23.56

CoopFR - Top 100

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

72,857in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

21

23

AchmeaEuropeNetherlands

23.53

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

16,636

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

22

20

Rabobank

EuropeNetherlands

23.15

submitted

Financial service

consumer/user

43,822

31/12/2018

Headcountsubmitted

23

27

MassMutual Financial

Americas

USA

22.93

desk research

Insurance

mutual

24

24

COVEA

EuropeFrance20.00

desk research

Insurance

mutual

23,00031/12/2018

Headcountdesk research86

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

87

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

25

25

Bay WaEuropeGermany

19.64

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

17,86431/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

26

26

Northwestern Mutual

Americas

USA

18.04

desk research

Insurance

mutual5,870

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

27

28

Coop*

Europe

Italy

17.49

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

28

32

Conad*

Europe

Italy

15.90

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

56,00531/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

29

40

The Norinchukin bank

Asia and Pacific

Japan

15.69

desk research

Financial service

non coop

3,615

31/03/2019

Headcountdesk research

30

29

Mouvement Desjardins

Americas

Canada15.57

submitted

Financial service

consumer/user

46,216

31/12/2018

Headcountsubmitted

31

33

Land O’Lakes

Americas

USA

14.94

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

10,00031/12/2018

FTE

desk research

32

38

Unipol Gruppo

Europe

Italy

14.59

submitted

Insurance

non coop

14,241

31/12/2018

Headcountsubmitted

33

37

Corporación Mondragón

Europe

Spain

14.43

desk research

Industry

worker

81,837in 2018

Headcountdesk research

34

35

Fonterra Cooperative Group

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand

14.15

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

22,358in 2018

FTE

desk research

35

36

Hokuren

Asia and Pacific

Japan

13.86

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer

1,950

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

36

39

John Lewis Partnership PLC

EuropeUK

13.79

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

non coop

83,90026/01/2019

Headcountdesk research

37

34

FrieslandCampina

EuropeNetherlands

13.65

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

23,7692018 average

FTE

desk research

38

31

Dairy Farmers of America

Americas

USA

13.63

NCB

Agriculture and food industries

producer

8.000+

not indicatedHeadcountdesk research

39

42

SOK (S- Group)*

EuropeFinland13.61

submitted

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

38,00031/12/2018

Headcountsubmitted

40

44

Co-operative Group Limited

EuropeUK

13.58

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

62,786

not indicated

not indicatedCoop UK

41

41

Wakefern Food Corp./Shoprite

Americas

USA

13.13

NCB

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

42

43

Coöperatie VGZEuropeNetherlands

13.03

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

1,914

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

43

45

Arla foods amba

EuropeDenmark

12.32

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

19,1902018 average

FTE

desk research

44-

JF Zengyoren

Asia and Pacific

Japan

12.30

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer45

46Groupama

EuropeFrance12.29

desk research

Insurance

mutual

31,676

not indicatedHeadcountdesk research

46

49

Pacific Life

Americas

USA

12.28

desk research

Insurance

mutual47

55

CZ Groep

EuropeNetherlands

11.85

desk research

Insurance

mutual48

47

AG2R La Mondiale

EuropeFrance11.43

desk research

Insurance

mutual10,327

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

49

48

Vienna Insurance Group

EuropeAustria

11.41

desk research

Insurance

mutual

25,9472018 average

FTE

desk research

50

51Danish Crown

EuropeDenmark

9.64

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

27,9212018 average

FTE

desk research

88

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

89

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

51

50

Associated Wholesale Grocers,
Inc

Americas

USA

9.61

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

52

53

American Family

Americas

USA

9.27

desk research

Insurance

53

54

HUK-Coburg

EuropeGermany

9.06

desk research5459

RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International)

EuropeAustria

8.84

55

66

Growmark Inc.

Americas

USA

56

56

Guardian Life

Americas

57

63

Federated Co-operatives Limited

58

60

59

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

mutual

11,97531/12/2018

FTE

desk research

Insurance

mutual10,43031/12/2018

Headcountdesk researchdesk research

Financial service

consumer/user

47,07931/12/2018

FTE

desk research

8.52

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

USA

8.38

desk research

Insurance

mutual9,556

01/01/2019

Headcountdesk research

Americas

Canada8.23

submitted

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

2,398

31/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

UMG Groupe VYVEuropeFrance8.19

desk research

Insurance

mutual

45,000not indicated

not indicateddesk research

57

Südzucker

EuropeGermany

7.98

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

19,21928/02/2019

Headcountdesk research

60

52

Copersucar SA

AmericasBrazil7.98

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

61

64

AgravisEuropeGermany

7.77

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

6,528

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

62

76

MenzisEuropeNetherlands

7.66

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

1,555

in 2018

FTE

desk research

63

62

Auto-Owners Insurance

Americas

USA

7.58

desk research

Insurance

mutual64

58

Debeka Versichern

EuropeGermany

7.58

desk research

Insurance

mutual

16,029not indicated

not indicateddesk research

65

125

IFFCO**

Asia and Pacific

India

7.45

submitted

Agriculture and food industries

producer

4,764

31/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

66

71

Korean National Federation ofFisheries Co-operatives (NFFC)

Asia and PacificRepublic of Korea

7.36

desk research

Fishing

producer

67

67

MACIF

EuropeFrance7.33

desk research

Insurance

mutual

68

68

DLG

EuropeDenmark

7.12

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

5,902

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

69

70

HealthPartners Inc.

Americas

USA

7.06

NCB

Education, health and social work

consumer/user

70

73

FenacoEuropeSwitzerland

6.92

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

10,17931/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

71

75

AgrialEuropeFrance6.90

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

22,900not indicated

not indicateddesk research

72

84

Metsä Group (Metsäliitto)

EuropeFinland6.75

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

9,310

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

73

69

Deutsches milchkontor Eg (DMK)

EuropeGermany

6.70

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

5,742

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research90

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

91

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

74

90

Cattolica Assicurazioni

Europe

Italy

6.67

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

1,692

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

75

72

Signal Iduna

EuropeGermany

6.64

desk research

Insurance

mutual76

98

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension

EuropeFinland6.39

desk research

Insurance

mutual649

in 2018

Headcountdesk research

77

78

UNIQA

EuropeAustria

6.27

desk research

Insurance

non coop

12,81831/12/2018

FTE

desk research

78

80

Folksam

EuropeSweden6.22

desk research

Insurance

mutual

3,771

in 2018

FTE

desk research

79

74

In Vivo

EuropeFrance

6.13

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

11,4342018 average

not indicated

Orbis

80

82

Coop Norge

EuropeNorway6.06

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

5,216

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

81

88

Varma Mutual Pension

EuropeFinland6.05

desk research

Insurance

mutual553

in 2018

Headcountdesk research

82

83

Sodiaal Union

EuropeFrance5.96

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

9,100

in 2018

not indicateddesk research

83

79

Coop amba

EuropeDenmark

5.92

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

39,52931/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

84

95

Reale Mutua

Europe

Italy

5.89

desk research

Insurance

mutual

1,105

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research85

85

Mutua Madrileña

Europe

Spain

5.79

desk research

Insurance

mutual

14,280not indicated

not indicateddesk research

86

89

AsteraEuropeFrance5.78

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

3,279

in 2018

FTE

desk research

87

81

Terrena

EuropeFrance5.76

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

14,055in 2018

Headcountdesk research

88

87

FJCC

Asia and Pacific

Japan

5.75

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

89

93

Zenrosai

Asia and Pacific

Japan

5.72

submitted

Insurance

consumer/user

3,503

31/05/2018

Headcountsubmitted

9091

ACE Hardware Corp.

Americas

USA

5.72

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

91

99

PFA Pension

EuropeDenmark

5.62

desk research

Insurance

mutual

1,337

2018 average

FTE

desk research

92

108

AlectaEuropeSweden5.54

desk research

Insurance

mutual367

in 2018

Headcountdesk research

93

92

FM Global

Americas

USA

5.50

desk research

Insurance

mutual94

94

FloraHolland

EuropeNetherlands

5.49

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,636

in 2018

Headcountdesk research

95

77

Navy Federal Credit Union

Americas

USA

5.40

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

96

86

TereosEuropeFrance5.24

desk research

Agriculture and foodindustries

producer

26,003

2018/2019not indicateddesk research

97

101

Danish AgroEuropeDenmark

5.23

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

4,768

in 2018

Headcountdesk research

98

96

Fukoku Life

Asia and Pacific

Japan

5.23

desk research

Insurance

mutual99

102

Sanacorp Eg Pharmazeutische

EuropeGermany

5.19

Orbis

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

2,761

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

92

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

93

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

100

97

Agropur Coopérative

Americas

Canada5.19

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

8,800

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

101

103

Gothaer Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

5.18

desk research

Insurance

mutual5,412

2018 average

Headcountdesk research

102

105

Lantmannen

EuropeSweden5.06

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

9,895

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

103

113

KLP

EuropeNorway5.03

desk research

Insurance

mutual

1,016

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

104

100

La Coop fédérée

Americas

Canada5.03

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

15,36027/10/2018

Headcountdesk research

105

106

Alte Leipziger

EuropeGermany

4.95

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

106

109

Gujarat Cooperative Milk
Marketing Federation Ltd

Asia and Pacific

India

4.85

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer107-

Nihon Delica Foods Association

Asia and Pacific

Japan

4.60

Orbis

Other services

producer21

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

108

111

Die Continentale

EuropeGermany

4.49

desk research

Insurance

mutual3,775

31/12/2018

not indicateddesk research

109

112

Länsförsäkringar

EuropeSweden4.40

desk research

Insurance

mutual

1,972

2018 average

not indicateddesk research

110

110

Korean Federation of Community
Credit Cooperatives (KFCC)

Asia and PacificRepublic of Korea

4.38

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

111

118

LVM Versicherung

EuropeGermany

4.31

desk research

Insurance

mutual10,980not indicated

not indicateddesk research

112

117

Elo

EuropeFinland4.30

desk research

Insurance

mutual466

2018 average

not indicateddesk research

113

116

MAIF

EuropeFrance4.26

desk research

Insurance

mutual

7,919

in 2018

FTE

desk research

114

124

Ag Processing Inc.

Americas

USA

4.15

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

115

130

CoBank, ACB

Americas

USA

4.03

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

116

107

Securian Financial Group

Americas

USA

3.96

desk research

Insurance

mutual

5,600

in 2018

not indicateddesk research

117-

Cofares S.C. Farmaceutica
Espanola

Europe

Spain

3.94

Orbis

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

2,702

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

118

119

Swiss Mobiliar (La Mobilière)

EuropeSwitzerland

3.92

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

5,374

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

119

131

Coamo

AmericasBrazil3.90

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

9,294

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

120

121

Vivescia

EuropeFrance

3.86

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer

7,500

in 2018

not indicateddesk research

121

114

Raiffeisen group

EuropeSwitzerland

3.83

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

11,853in 2018

Headcountdesk research

122

120

Kooperativa Förbundet

EuropeSweden3.82

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

4,809

2018 average

not indicateddesk research

123

115

SicrediAmericasBrazil3.75

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

25,783in 2018

Headcountdesk research

124-

ActuraEuropeFrance3.72

CoopFR - Top 100

Agriculture and food industries

producer

3,148

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR94

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

95

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

125

122

DEVK Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

3.69

desk research

Insurance

mutual126

133

Do-it-Best Corp.

Americas

USA

3.66

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer127

128

Asahi Life

Asia and Pacific

Japan

3.59

desk research

Insurance

128

127

VHV Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

3.56

desk research

129

126

Co-op Mirai

Asia and Pacific

Japan

3.54

130

129

Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union (JCCU)

Asia and Pacific

Japan

131

136

Noweda EG

Europe132

140

OP Group - Pohjola Pankki Oyj

133

-

134

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

mutual15,79931/03/2019

Headcountdesk research

Insurance

mutual3,182

in 2018

Headcountdesk researchsubmitted

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

14,615

20/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

3.46

submitted

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

1,454

20/03/2019

Headcountdesk research

Germany

3.43

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

1,519

30/06/2018

not indicateddesk research

EuropeFinland3.30

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

12,066

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

Kagoshimaken Keizai Nogyo KR

Asia and Pacific

Japan

3.29

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer405

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

65

Mutual of Omaha

Americas

USA

3.28

desk research

Insurance

mutual6,314

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

135-

Selectour

EuropeFrance3.25

CoopFR - Top 100

Other services

producer

4,069

2018

Headcount

CoopFR

136

146

EthiasEuropeBelgium

3.17

desk research

Insurance

mutual

1,829

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

137

141

Skandia Mutual

EuropeSweden3.17

desk research

Insurance

mutual2,243

not indicated

FTE

desk research

138

134

WestfleischEuropeGermany

3.08

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

3,873

in 2018

not indicateddesk research

139

151

AxéréalEuropeFrance3.02

Poidseco

Agriculture and food industries

producer

3,182

2017/2018

Headcount

Poidseco

140-

ConsumEurope

Spain

3.01

Orbis

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

15,866

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

141

132

California Dairies, Inc.

Americas

USA

3.01

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

142

138

Sentry Insurance

Americas

USA

2.96

desk research

Insurance

mutual4,169

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

143

150

RWA

EuropeAustria

2.91

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,2042018 average

Headcountdesk research

144

139

The Co-operators

Americas

Canada2.91

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

5,350

in 2018

not indicateddesk research

145

142

AgranaEuropeAustria

2.89

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer+consumer/
user

9,230

2018 average

FTE

desk research

146

144

Nortura SA

EuropeNorway2.88

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

5,151

in 2018

FTE

desk research

147-

Cooperatie Fromfarmers U.A.

EuropeNetherlands

2.85

Orbis

Agriculture and foodindustries

producer

2,654

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

148

158

ForFarmers

EuropeNetherlands

2.84

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

2,654

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

149

152

Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd

Asia and Pacific

Australia

2.84

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer96

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

97

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

150

148

Tine sa

EuropeNorway2.83

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

5,355

in 2018

Headcountdesk research

151

184

Agribank, FCB

Americas

USA

2.80

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

152

165

Södra

EuropeSweden2.79

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

consumer/user

3,141

in 2018

Headcountdesk research

153

154

Recreational Equipment Inc.

Americas

USA

2.78

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

13000+

not indicated

not indicated

NCB

154

-

Aichi-ken Keizai Nogyo KR

Asia and Pacific

Japan

2.76

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer587

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

155

-

Gedex

EuropeFrance2.74

CoopFR - Top 100

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

6,080

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

156

159

SMA (SMABTP + SMAVIE)

EuropeFrance2.74

desk research

Insurance

mutual157

163

Wawanesa Mutual

Americas

Canada2.71

desk research

Insurance

mutual158

147

NTUC Income

Asia and PacificSingapore

2.69

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

159

203

Cooperl Arc Atlantique

EuropeFrance2.67

CoopFR - Top 100

Agriculture and food industries

producer

7,156

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

160

200

Western & Southern Financial

Americas

USA

2.67

desk research

Insurance

mutual2,769

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

161

157

Co-op Sapporo

Asia and Pacific

Japan

2.67

submitted

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

15,134

20/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

162

169

MATMUT

EuropeFrance2.64

desk research

Insurance

mutual6,277

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

163

135

Cuna Mutual

Americas

USA

2.62

desk research

Insurance

mutual

164

149

Mutual of America Life

Americas

USA

2.60

desk research

Insurance

mutual

1,163

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

165

160

Agricola Tre Valli

Europe

Italy

2.56

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer

7,078

31/12/2018

Headcount

Orbis

166

-

Intersport

EuropeFrance2.56

CoopFR - Top 100

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

9,500

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

167

162

Groupe Even

EuropeFrance2.56

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

6,140

in 2018

not indicateddesk research

168

170

HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe

EuropeGermany

2.51

desk research

Insurance

mutual2,140

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

169-

SogipharEuropeFrance2.49

CoopFR - Top 100

wholesale and retail trade

producer

7,911

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

170

164

Agrifirm

EuropeNetherlands

2.48

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,957

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

171

168

Royal Cosun

EuropeNetherlands

2.47

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

3,848

in 2018

FTE

desk research

172

167

Ornua (ex Irish Dairy Board
Co-operative Ltd)

EuropeIreland

2.46

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,1792018 average

not indicateddesk research

173

195

Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale
Rhein-Main

EuropeGermany

2.46

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,541

2018 average

Headcountdesk research

174

173

Basin Electric Power Cooperative

Americas

USA

2.44

desk research

Utilities

consumer/user98

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

99

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

175

171

MACSF

EuropeFrance2.40

desk research

Insurance

mutual

1,502

2018 average

not indicateddesk research

176

179

National Merchant Buying Society Limited

EuropeUK

2.39

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer53

in 2018

not indicateddesk research

177

161

NTUC Fairprice Co-Operative Ltd

Asia and PacificSingapore

2.37

submitted

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

9,800

31/12/2018

headcountsubmitted

178

186

Les Maîtres Laitiers du Cotentin

EuropeFrance2.33

CoopFR - Top 100

Agriculture and food industries

producer

5,000

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

179

172

New York State Insurance Fund(NYSF)

Americas

USA

2.33

desk research

Insurance

mutual180

183

C. ValeAmericasBrazil

2.33

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

9,468

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

181

182

Amica Mutual

Americas

USA

2.33

desk research

Insurance

mutual182

177

Landgard EGEuropeGermany

2.31

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,9362018 average

not indicateddesk research

183

104

Foodstuffs North Island Limited

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand

2.31

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

1,700

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

184

175

Co-op Kobe

Asia and Pacific

Japan

2.30

submitted

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

9,609

31/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

185

185

Darigold

Americas

USA

2.30

NCB

Agriculture and food industries

producer

186

178

Triskalia

EuropeFrance2.29

CoopFR - Top 100

Agriculture and food industries

producer

4,800

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

187

166

Barmenia Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

2.27

desk research

Insurance

mutual

1,890

2018 average

not indicateddesk research

188

188

Sperwer

EuropeNetherlands

2.26

Orbis

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

1,095

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

189

205

LBM Advantage

Americas

USA

2.18

NCB

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

190

181

Foodstuffs South Island

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand2.17

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

1,311

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

191

221

ZespriAsia and Pacific

New Zealand2.15

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

530

31/03/2019

FTE

desk research

192

187

Limagrain

EuropeFrance2.10

CoopFR - Top 100

Agriculture and foodindustries

producer

7,800

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

193-

Miyazaki-ken Keizai Nogyo KR

Asia and Pacific

Japan

2.09

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer475

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

194

197

Valio Oy

EuropeFinland

2.05

Finnish300+

Agriculture and food industries

producer

4,259

2018 average

Headcount

Finnish300+

195

174

NFU Mutual

Europe

UK

2.05

Orbis

Insurance

mutual196

176

Tawuniya

Asia and Pacific

Saudi Arabia

2.04

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

197

190

Associated Food Stores

Americas

USA

2.04

NCB

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

198

191

HKScan Oyj

EuropeFinland2.03

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

7,179

2018 average

Headcountdesk research

199

196

Hospital Contribution Fund (HCF)

Asia and Pacific

Australia

1.98

desk research

Insurance

mutual100

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

101

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

200

202

Felleskjøpet o FK

EuropeNorway1.97

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

3,596

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research

201

204

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc.

Americas

USA

1.95

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

202

201

SSQ Financial Group

Americas

Canada1.92

desk research

Insurance

mutual2,020

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

203

192

Fundación Espriu

Europe

Spain

1.92

submitted

Education, health and social work

worker6,182

31/12/2018

Headcountsubmitted

204

155

National Life

Americas

USA

1.91

desk research

Insurance

mutual205

267

LocalTapiola

EuropeFinland1.89

desk research

Insurance

mutual

206

208

GESCO

Europe

Italy

1.88

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer578

31/12/2018

Headcount

Orbis

207

212

MosadexEuropeNetherlands

1.86

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer2.100+

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

208

143

National Credit Union Federationof Korea (NACUFOK)

Asia and PacificRepublic of Korea

1.85

Orbis

Financial service

consumer/user

209

213

P&V

EuropeBelgium

1.84

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

210

207

EMC Insurance Companies

Americas

USA

1.83

desk research

Insurance

mutual211

214

Hochwald Milch Eg

EuropeGermany

1.83

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

1,848

in 2018

not indicateddesk research

212

217

La Capitale

Americas

Canada1.82

desk research

Insurance

mutual2,686

31/12/2018

not indicateddesk research

213

211

Volkswohl-Bund Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

1.79

desk research

Insurance

mutual584

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

214

209

Shelter Insurance

Americas

USA

1.76

desk research

Insurance

mutual4100+

in 2018

not indicateddesk research

215

225

Japan CO-OP Insurance Consumers' Co-operative Federation(JCIF)

Asia and Pacific

Japan

1.73

submitted

Insurance

consumer/user

1,215

20/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

216

220

Lur Berri

EuropeFrance1.72

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

6,400

2018/2019not indicateddesk research

217

222

Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Berhad

Asia and Pacific

Malaysia

1.71

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

5,178

31/12/2018

not indicateddesk research

218

238

CEF

Europe

Italy

1.71

Orbis

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

1,136

31/12/2018

headcount

Orbis

219

224

SACMI

Europe

Italy

1.70

Orbis

Industry

worker

4,472

31/12/2018

Headcount

Orbis

220

223

Atria Oyj

EuropeFinland1.70

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

4,460

31/12/2018

FTE

desk research

221

153

Ohio National Life

Americas

USA

1.69

desk research

Insurance

mutual222

218

Select Milk Producers, Inc.

Americas

USA

1.68

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

223

215

FebelcoEuropeBelgium

1.66

Orbis

Wholesale and retail trade

producer943

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

102

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

103

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

224

232

Farmlands Trading Society

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand1.66

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

225

210

Silver Fern Farms

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand

1.65

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

226

286

Coop Nederland

EuropeNetherlands

1.64

submitted

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

227

219

Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.

Americas

USA

1.64

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

228

230

Euralis Groupe

EuropeFrance1.64

CoopFR - Top 100

Agriculture and food industries

producer229

235

Independent Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc.

Americas

USA

1.62

NCB

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

230

245

OBOS BBL

EuropeNorway1.62

desk research

Housing231

228

U Co-op

Asia and Pacific

Japan

1.60

submitted

232

284

Gruppo ITAS

Europe

Italy

1.59

233

198

Federated Mutual

Americas

USA

234

227

Foremost Farms USA Cooperative

Americas235234Maïsadour

236

268

237

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

8,043

31/12/2018

Headcountsubmitted

5,006

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

consumer/user

2,614

31/12/2018

not indicateddesk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

6,971

20/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

desk research

Insurance

mutual747

31/12/2018

headcountdesk research

1.59

desk research

Insurance

mutual

USA

1.59

NCB

Agriculture and food industries

producer

EuropeFrance1.59

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

5,447

2018/2019

FTE

desk research

AGTEGRA Cooperative/ South
Dakota Wheat Growers Association

Americas

USA

1.57

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

240

Granlatte

Europe

Italy

1.57

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer

3,045

31/12/2018

Headcount

Orbis

238

244

The Midcounties Co-operative
LimitedEuropeUK

1.57

desk research

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

8,513

2018/2019headcountdesk research

239

253

FCS of America

Americas

USA

1.57

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

240

216

Associated Milk Producers, Inc

Americas

USA

1.57

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer241247Norges Raafisklag sa

EuropeNorway1.57

desk research

Fishing

producer242

236Blue Diamond Growers

Americas

USA

1.57

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

1,500

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

243

256

AEGIS

Americas

USA

1.57

desk research

Insurance

mutual244

229

Royal London

EuropeUK

1.56

desk research

Insurance

mutual245

251

Plains Cotton Co-op Association

Americas

USA

1.55

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

246

280

WWK Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

1.55

desk research

Insurance

mutual1,186

31/12/2018

not indicateddesk research

247

271

OK amba

EuropeDenmark

1.54

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

multistakeholder

2,010

31/12/2018

Headcountdesk research104

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

105

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

248

-

AP Pension

EuropeDenmark

1.53

desk research

Insurance

consumer/user

249

263

State Employees Credit Union,
Inc.

Americas

USA

1.52

desk research

Financial service

250

250

Milcobel

EuropeBelgium

1.51

desk research

251

246

American Crystal Sugar Co.

Americas

USA

1.51

252

243

Affiliated Foods, Inc.

Americas

USA

253

269

DSW Zorgverzekeraar

Europe254

242

Oglethorpe Power Corporation

255

226

256

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

consumer/user

6,600

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,0432018 average

headcountdesk research

USDA

Agriculture and foodindustries

producer

1.50

NCB

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

Netherlands

1.49

desk research

Insurance

mutualAmericas

USA

1.48

desk research

Utilities

consumer/user

The Kyoei Fire & Marine Insurance Co

Asia and Pacific

Japan

1.47

submitted

Insurance

non coop

2,000

31/03/2019

Headcountsubmitted

145

Ameritas Life

Americas

USA

1.45

desk research

Insurance

mutual

257

276

ONVZ

EuropeNetherlands

1.45

desk research

Insurance

mutual422

2018 average

FTE

desk research

258

300

Central Valley Ag Cooperative

Americas

USA

1.44

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer259

156

Penn Mutual

Americas

USA

1.42

desk research

Insurance

mutual

260

-

Cofaq

EuropeFrance1.42

CoopFR - Top 100

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

6,164

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

261-

Biocoop

EuropeFrance1.42

CoopFR - Top 100

Wholesale and retail trade

multistakeholder

6,393

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

262

259

AcuityAmericas

USA

1.42

desk research

Insurance

mutual

1,313

not indicated

not indicateddesk research

263

275

Fuer Sie Handelsgenossenschaft
Eg food - non food

EuropeGermany

1.41

Orbis

Wholesale and retail trade

producer105

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

264

261

La Mutuelle Générale

EuropeFrance1.40

desk research

Insurance

mutual265

260

Producers Livestock Marketing
Association

Americas

USA

1.39

NCB

Agriculture and food industries

producer266

283

Advitam (Unéal)

EuropeFrance1.39

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,389

30/06/2018

not indicateddesk research

267

264

Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.

Americas

USA

1.38

NCB

Utilities

consumer/user

268

252

MFA Incorporated

Americas

USA

1.37

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer269

257

Unione Farmaceutica Novarese

Europe

Italy

1.37

Orbis

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

564

31/01/2019

Headcount

Orbis

270

-

KribhcoAsia and Pacific

India

1.37

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer106

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

107

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

271

265

Sunkist Growers, Inc.

Americas

USA

1.36

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer272

199

Murray Goulburn Co-operative
Co LtdAsia and Pacific

Australia

1.35

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer273

255

State Compensation Insurance
Fund

Americas

USA

1.33

desk research

Insurance

mutual274

248

Tri-State G&T Association

Americas

USA

1.32

NCB

Utilities

consumer/user

275

278

ZG Raiffeisen Eg

EuropeGermany

1.31

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

276

233Southern States Cooperative

Americas

USA

1.31

NCB

Agriculture and food industries

producer277-

BigmatEuropeFrance1.31

CoopFR - Top 100

Wholesale and retail trade

278

281

Spółdzielnia Mleczarska Mlekovita

EuropePoland

1.30

Orbis

279

-

Grupo AN (A. N. S. C.)

Europe

Spain

1.27

280

273

HBF HealthAsia and Pacific

Australia

281

279

West Bend Mutual

Americas282

282

Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar

283

-

284

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

1,892

2018 average

Headcountdesk research

producer

3,039

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

Agriculture and food industries

producer

3,433

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer

1,052

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

1.27

desk research

Insurance

mutualUSA

1.27

desk research

Insurance

mutualEurope

Spain

1.26

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

6,256

31/12/2018

FTE

desk researchIntergamma Cooperatief UA

EuropeNetherlands

1.26

Orbis

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

2,960

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

290

Krys Group

EuropeFrance1.25

CoopFR - Top 100

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

6,542

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

285

193

State Auto Insurance

Americas

USA

1.24

desk research

Insurance

mutual

286-

Banco Credicoop Cooperativo
Limitado

Americas

Argentina

1.23

desk research

Financial service

consumer/user

5,115

31/12/2018

headcountdesk research

287

295

Alliance Group

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand1.22

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

288

291

Datev

EuropeGermany

1.22

desk research

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

7,606

31/12/2018

not indicateddesk research

289-

Giropharm

EuropeFrance1.21

CoopFR - Top 100

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

3,574

in 2018

Headcount

CoopFR

290

297

Associated Electric Cooperative
Inc.

Americas

USA

1.21

desk research

Utilities

consumer/user

291-

Countrymark Cooperative Holding Corporation

Americas

USA

1.19

USDA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

292

-

DCOOP

Europe

Spain

1.19

Orbis

Agriculture and food industries

producer600

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

108

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

109

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRY

TURNOVER 2018
(BILLION US$)SOURCEECONOMIC DATAECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES 2018DATE

FTE ORHEADCOUNTSOURCEEMPLOYEE DATA

293

239

Agricultores Federados Argentinos Sociedad Cooperativa
Limitada

Americas

Argentina

1.19

submitted

Agriculture and food industries

producer

1,709

31/10/2018

Headcountsubmitted

294-

North Carolina Electric Membership Corp.

Americas

USA

1.19

NCB

Utilities

consumer/user

295-

OSAKA KOIKINAMAKONKURITO
KD

Asia and Pacific

Japan

1.19

Orbis

Industry

producer19

not indicated

not indicated

Orbis

296

277

Grange Mutual Casualty Pool

Americas

USA

1.19

desk research

Insurance

mutual297-

Arterris

EuropeFrance1.19

desk research

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,200

2018/2019not indicateddesk research

298-

Sicarev

EuropeFrance1.18

CoopFR - Top 100

Agriculture and food industries

producer

299-

SEAS-NVE A.M.B.A

EuropeDenmark

1.18

desk research

Utilities

consumer/user

9782018 average

not indicateddesk research

300

272

Landus Cooperative

Americas

USA

1.17

NCB

Agriculture and food industries

producer*The figure includes the central and single coops** Includes subsidiaries and joint ventures

		

110

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

TOP 300: rankings and employment data by turnover USD

111

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

TOP 300: RANKINGSBY TURNOVER OVER GDPPER CAPITA112

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

113

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

TOP 300 LARGEST COOPERATIVE AND MULTUAL ORGANISATIONS BY TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA
RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

1

3

IFFCO**

Asia and Pacific

India

Agriculture and food industries

producer

3,715,708.48

submitted

2

2

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd

Asia and Pacific

India

Agriculture and food industries

producer

2,419,575.24

desk research

31Groupe Crédit Agricole

EuropeFranceFinancial service

consumer/user

2,140,273.62

desk research

44Groupe BPCE

EuropeFranceFinancial service

consumer/user

1,513,647.86

desk research

5

5Zenkyoren

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

producer

1,484,625.92

submitted

611

Zen-NohAsia and PacificJapan

Agriculture and food industries

producer

1,433,801.11

submitted

7

7

Nippon Life

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

mutual

1,403,879.42

desk research

88REWE Group

EuropeGermany

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

1,323,867.84

desk research

910

ACDLEC - E. Leclerc

EuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

1,323,125.71

CoopFR - Top 100

106Nonghyup (NACF)

Asia and PacificRepublic of Korea

Agriculture and food industries

producer

1,242,003.08

submitted

1112Groupe Crédit MutuelEuropeFranceFinancial service

consumer/user

1,170,180.10

desk research

1213Copersucar SA

AmericasBrazilAgriculture and food industries

non coop

886,227.72

desk research

13

14

Talanx Group

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual865,212.31

desk research

14

15

Edeka Zentrale

EuropeGermany

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

850,165.03

desk research

15

9

BVR

EuropeGermany

Financial service

consumer/user

840,732.89

desk research

16

17

Meiji Yasuda Life

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

mutual712,758.24

desk research

17

16State Farm

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

691,056.43

desk research

18

21

KribhcoAsia and Pacific

India

Agriculture and food industries

producer

680,632.01

desk research

19

19

Liberty Mutual

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual603,262.06

desk research

20

18

Sumitomo Life

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

mutual602,722.44

desk research

21

20

Système U

EuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

565,918.63

CoopFR - Top 100

22

22

CHS Inc.

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

520,104.02

desk research

23

26

Coop*

Europe

Italy

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

506,566.52

desk research114

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

115

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

24

24

COVEA

EuropeFranceInsurance

mutual

480,349.69

desk research25

25

Corporación Mondragón

EuropeSpain

Industry

worker475,726.94

desk research

26

27

Conad*

Europe

Italy

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

460,701.72

desk research

27

28

AchmeaEuropeNetherlands

Insurance

consumer/user

443,631.68

desk research

28

23

Rabobank

EuropeNetherlands

Financial service

consumer/user

436,303.90

submitted

29

38

Coamo

AmericasBrazilAgriculture and food industries

producer

433,471.45

desk research

30

29

Unipol Gruppo

Europe

Italy

Insurance

non coop

422,675.00

submitted

3130

SicrediAmericasBrazilFinancial service

consumer/user

416,804.67

desk research

32

31

Bay WaEuropeGermany

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

412,348.01

desk research

33

36

The Norinchukin bank

Asia and PacificJapan

Financial service

non coop

400,663.96

desk research

34

33

Coop Swiss

EuropeSwitzerland

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

378,498.06

desk research

35

45

MassMutual Financial

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual364,878.94

desk research

36

35

Hokuren

Asia and PacificJapan

Agriculture and food industries

producer

353,930.11

Orbis

37

34

MigrosEuropeSwitzerland

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

351,229.70

desk research

38

37

Mouvement Desjardins

Americas

CanadaFinancial service

consumer/user

336,280.51

submitted

39

41

Fonterra Cooperative Group

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand

Agriculture and food industries

producer

329,369.42

desk research

40

39

Co-operative Bank of Kenya Ltd (CBK)AfricaKenya

Financial service

non coop

323,167.68

desk research

41

40

John Lewis Partnership PLC

EuropeUK

Wholesale and retail trade

non coop

320,294.01

desk research42

42

Co-operative Group Limited

EuropeUK

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

315,491.17

desk research

43-

JF Zengyoren

Asia and PacificJapan

Agriculture and food industries

producer

314,100.64

desk research

44

44Groupama

EuropeFranceInsurance

mutual295,219.94

desk research

45

43

Northwestern Mutual

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

287,014.55

desk research

46

46

AG2R La Mondiale

EuropeFranceInsurance

mutual274,622.40

desk research116

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

117

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

47

48

SOK (S- Group)*

EuropeFinland

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

272,109.82

submitted

48

55

C. ValeAmericasBrazilAgriculture and food industries

producer

258,854.78

desk research

49

47

FrieslandCampina

EuropeNetherlands

Agriculture and food industries

producer

257,318.85

desk research

50

50

Coöperatie VGZEuropeNetherlands

Insurance

consumer/user

245,667.74

desk research

51

53

Land O’Lakes

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

237,686.24

desk research

52

68

CZ Groep

EuropeNetherlands

Insurance

mutual

223,392.81

desk research

53

54

Vienna Insurance Group

EuropeAustria

Insurance

mutual221,454.66

desk research

54

56

Korean National Federation of Fisheries Co-operatives (NFFC)

Asia and PacificRepublic of Korea

Fishing

producer

220,852.57

desk research

55

49

Saraswat Bank

Asia and PacificIndia

Financial service

consumer/user

220,374.86

desk research

56

52

Dairy Farmers of America

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

216,899.99

NCB

57

57

Wakefern Food Corp./Shoprite

Americas

USA

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

208,943.28

NCB

58

58

Arla foods amba

EuropeDenmark

Agriculture and food industries

producer

200,641.22

desk research

59

60

UMG Groupe VYVEuropeFranceInsurance

mutual196,767.69

desk research

60

65

Pacific Life

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual195,441.80

desk research

61

67

Cattolica Assicurazioni

Europe

Italy

Insurance

consumer/user

193,351.79

desk research

6259

Mutua Madrileña

EuropeSpain

Insurance

mutual190,971.01

desk research

63

61

HUK-Coburg

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual190,118.53

desk research

64

66

Federated Co-operatives Limited

Americas

CanadaWholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

177,797.35

submitted

65

62

MACIF

EuropeFranceInsurance

mutual176,183.30

desk research

66

75

RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International)

EuropeAustria

Financial service

consumer/user

171,485.57

desk research

67

76

Reale Mutua

Europe

Italy

Insurance

mutual

170,505.94

desk research

68

63

Südzucker

EuropeGermany

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

167,514.13

desk research

69

74

AgrialEuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

165,757.08

desk research

118

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

119

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

70

70

AgravisEuropeGermany

Agriculture and food industries

producer

163,135.86

desk research

71

64

Debeka Versichern

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual159,066.74

desk research

72

69

Danish Crown

EuropeDenmark

Agriculture and food industries

producer

157,044.58

desk research

73

72

Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc

Americas

USA

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

153,002.59

desk research

74

73

Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Berhad

Asia and Pacific

Malaysia

Financial service

consumer/user

150,586.36

desk research

75

86American Family

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual147,447.58

desk research

76

71

In Vivo

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

147,175.74

desk research

77

84

FJCC

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

consumer/user

146,784.64

desk research

78

88

Zenrosai

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

consumer/user

146,084.79

submitted

79

91

MenzisEuropeNetherlands

Insurance

consumer/user

144,458.20

desk research

8081

Sodiaal Union

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

143,191.04

desk research

81

79

Deutsches milchkontor Eg (DMK)

EuropeGermany

Agriculture and food industries

producer

140,584.29

desk research

82

85

Signal Iduna

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual139,362.14

desk research

83

87

AsteraEuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

138,941.11

desk research

84

80

Terrena

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

138,414.50

desk research

85

96Growmark Inc.

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

135,621.18

desk research

86

94

Metsä Group (Metsäliitto)

EuropeFinlandAgriculture and food industries

non coop

134,852.62

desk research

87

90

Fukoku Life

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

mutual133,570.54

desk research

88

89

Guardian Life

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual133,370.42

desk research

89

82

Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives (KFCC)

Asia and PacificRepublic of Korea

Financial service

consumer/user

131,481.37

desk research90-

Cofares S.C. Farmaceutica Espanola

EuropeSpain

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

129,852.60

Orbis

91

110

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension

EuropeFinlandInsurance

mutual127,784.48

desk research

92

83

TereosEuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

125,963.72

desk research120

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

121

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

93

93

UNIQA

EuropeAustria

Insurance

non coop

121,752.90

desk research

94

97

Varma Mutual Pension

EuropeFinlandInsurance

mutual120,890.46

desk research

95

92

Auto-Owners Insurance

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual120,607.72

desk research

96-

Nihon Delica Foods Association

Asia and PacificJapan

Other services

producer

117,520.33

Orbis

97

98

DLG

EuropeDenmark

Agriculture and food industries

producer

115,990.50

desk research

98

105

Folksam

EuropeSwedenInsurance

mutual

113,862.92

desk research

99

103

Cooperativa Colanta

Americas

Colombia

Agriculture and food industries

producer

113,260.20

Cenicoop, Confecoop

100

104

HealthPartners Inc.

Americas

USA

Education, health and social work

consumer/user

112,380.61

NCB

101

106

Agropur Coopérative

Americas

CanadaAgriculture and food industries

producer

111,988.40

desk research

102

111

Sanacorp Eg Pharmazeutische

EuropeGermany

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

109,047.46

Orbis

103

112

Gothaer Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual108,701.52

desk research

104

109

La Coop fédérée

Americas

CanadaAgriculture and food industries

producer

108,679.42

desk research

105

169

Banco Credicoop Cooperativo Limitado

Americas

Argentina

Financial service

consumer/user

105,316.39

desk research

106

114

Alte Leipziger

EuropeGermany

Insurance

consumer/user

103,934.26

desk research

107

107

FloraHolland

EuropeNetherlands

Agriculture and food industries

producer

103,524.45

desk research

108

115

MAIF

EuropeFranceInsurance

mutual

102,421.76

desk research

109

116

Agricultores Federados Argentinos Sociedad Cooperativa Limitada

Americas

Argentina

Agriculture and food industries

producer

102,039.79

submitted

110

138

AlectaEuropeSwedenInsurance

mutual

101,561.85

desk research

111-

ConsumEuropeSpain

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

99,198.21

Orbis

112

113

Coop amba

EuropeDenmark

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

96,490.65

desk research

113

77

Confederação Nacional das Cooperativas Médicas Unimed do
Brasil - Central Nacional Unimed

AmericasBrazil

Education, health and social work

worker

95,859.04

desk research

114

120

Die Continentale

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual

94,342.84

desk research122

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

123

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

115

121

Grupo Sancor Seguros

Americas

Argentina

Insurance

consumer/user

93,569.46

desk research

116

118

Vivescia

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

92,691.54

Orbis

117

135

Lantmannen

EuropeSwedenAgriculture and food industries

producer

92,662.75

desk research

118

122

Copidrogas

Americas

Colombia

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

92,057.65

Cenicoop, Confecoop

119

131

Asahi Life

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

mutual

91,767.09

desk research

120

137

PFA Pension

EuropeDenmark

Insurance

mutual

91,569.79

desk research

121

129

ACE Hardware Corp.

Americas

USA

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

90,977.06

desk research

122

133

LVM Versicherung

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual

90,442.90

desk research

123

128

Co-op Mirai

Asia and PacificJapan

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

90,428.23

submitted

124-

ActuraEuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

89,315.24

CoopFR - Top 100

125

134

Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union (JCCU)

Asia and PacificJapan

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

88,381.03

submitted

126

132

FM Global

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

87,511.11

desk research

127

108

Tawuniya

Asia and Pacific

Saudi Arabia

Insurance

consumer/user

87,307.45

desk research

128

136

Elo

EuropeFinlandInsurance

mutual

85,973.78

desk research

129

117

Navy Federal Credit Union

Americas

USA

Financial service

consumer/user

85,905.97

desk research

130

141

Danish AgroEuropeDenmark

Agriculture and food industries

producer

85,242.92

desk research

131

139

Spółdzielnia Mleczarska Mlekovita

EuropePolandAgriculture and food industries

producer

84,254.77

Orbis

132

-

Kagoshimaken Keizai Nogyo KR

Asia and PacificJapan

Agriculture and food industries

producer

84,003.94

Orbis

133

146

FenacoEuropeSwitzerland

Agriculture and food industries

producer

83,528.26

desk research

134

166

ULCCS Ltd

Asia and PacificIndia

Industry

worker

83,454.85

submitted

135

145

Länsförsäkringar

EuropeSwedenInsurance

mutual

80,558.97

desk research

136-

Selectour

EuropeFranceOther services

producer

78,047.96

CoopFR - Top 100

124

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

125

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE137

140

DEVK Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual

77,420.87

desk research

138

149

VHV Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual

74,685.01

desk research

139

153

Comparta

Americas

Colombia

Education, health and social work

consumer/user

74,294.13

desk research

140

147

Agricola Tre Valli

Europe

Italy

Agriculture and food industries

producer

74,292.77

Orbis

141

150

Coop Norge

EuropeNorwayWholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

74,195.56

desk research

142

148

Spółdzielnia Mleczarska Mlekpol W Grajewie

EuropePolandAgriculture and food industries

producer

73,063.15

Orbis

143

159

AxéréalEuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

72,428.50

Poidseco

144

160

Noweda EG

EuropeGermany

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

72,080.83

desk research

145-

Aichi-ken Keizai Nogyo KR

Asia and PacificJapan

Agriculture and food industries

producer

70,431.71

Orbis

146

154

Kooperativa Förbundet

EuropeSwedenWholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

70,027.17

desk research

147

162

Co-op Sapporo

Asia and PacificJapan

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

68,134.81

submitted

148

165

EthiasEuropeBelgium

Insurance

mutual

66,775.97

desk research

149

174

Ag Processing Inc.

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

66,102.32

desk research

150

163

OP Group - Pohjola Pankki Oyj

EuropeFinlandFinancial service

consumer/user

66,066.94

desk research

151

-

Gedex

EuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

65,702.19

CoopFR - Top 100

152-

SMA (SMABTP + SMAVIE)

EuropeFranceInsurance

mutual

65,702.19

desk research

153

158

Coop - Cooperativa de Consumo

AmericasBrazilWholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

65,515.19

desk research

154

156

WestfleischEuropeGermany

Agriculture and food industries

producer

64,582.76

desk research

155

144

Asmet Salud Eps Sas

Americas

Colombia

Education, health and social work

consumer/user

64,264.60

desk research

156

216

Cooperl Arc Atlantique

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

64,226.37

CoopFR - Top 100

157

184

CoBank, ACB

Americas

USA

Financial service

consumer/user

64,149.14

desk research

158

173

MATMUT

EuropeFranceInsurance

mutual

63,333.70

desk research126

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

127

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

159

155

Fundación Espriu

EuropeSpain

Education, health and social work

worker63,172.60

submitted

160

151

Securian Financial Group

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

63,004.36

desk research

161

161

The Co-operators

Americas

CanadaInsurance

consumer/user

62,777.81

desk research

162

171

Banco Popular y de Desarrollo Comunal (BPDC)

Americas

Costa Rica

Financial service

non coop

62,694.00

desk research

163

185

KLP

EuropeNorwayInsurance

mutual

61,589.07

desk research

164-

Intersport

EuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

61,501.79

CoopFR - Top 100

165

167

Groupe Even

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

61,445.03

desk research

166-

SogipharEuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

59,713.78

CoopFR - Top 100

167

170

Copservir Ltda

Americas

Colombia

Wholesale and retail trade

worker

59,009.45

Cenicoop, Confecoop

168

177

Co-op Kobe

Asia and PacificJapan

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

58,715.98

submitted

169

189

Wawanesa Mutual

Americas

CanadaInsurance

mutual

58,424.78

desk research

170

194

Do-it-Best Corp.

Americas

USA

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

58,221.86

desk research

171

188

Skandia Mutual

EuropeSwedenInsurance

mutual

58,086.53

desk research

172

176

MACSF

EuropeFranceInsurance

mutual

57,687.37

desk research

173

179

RWA

EuropeAustria

Agriculture and food industries

producer

56,445.45

desk research

174

186

Les Maîtres Laitiers du Cotentin

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

56,081.00

CoopFR - Top 100

175

172

AgranaEuropeAustria

Agriculture and food industries

producer+consumer/
user

56,022.21

desk research

176-

Solidarios

Americas

Colombia

Insurance

consumer/user

55,656.39

Cenicoop, Confecoop

177

187

National Merchant Buying Society Limited

EuropeUK

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

55,480.09

desk research

178

119

National Credit Union Federation of Korea (NACUFOK)

Asia and PacificRepublic of Korea

Financial service

consumer/user

55,443.54

Orbis

179

180

Triskalia

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

54,945.76

CoopFR - Top 100

180

183

GESCO

Europe

Italy

Agriculture and food industries

producer

54,555.13

Orbis

128

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

129

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

181

102

Foodstuffs North Island Limited

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

53,692.23

desk research

182-

Cooperatie Fromfarmers U.A.

EuropeNetherlands

Agriculture and food industries

producer

53,683.84

Orbis

183

198

Cooperativa Nacional de Productores de Leche - Conaprole

Americas

Uruguay

Agriculture and food industries

producer

53,629.62

Orbis

184

205

ForFarmers

EuropeNetherlands

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

53,558.83

desk research

185-

Miyazaki-ken Keizai Nogyo KR

Asia and PacificJapan

Agriculture and food industries

producer

53,457.78

Orbis

186

237

Cooperativa Obrera

Americas

Argentina

wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

53,069.65

desk research

187

201

HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual

52,702.06

desk research

188

95

Mutual of Omaha

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual52,237.88

desk research

189

224

Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Main

EuropeGermany

Agriculture and food industries

producer

51,606.10

desk research

190

222

Södra

EuropeSwedenAgriculture and food industries

consumer/user

51,071.80

desk research

191-

Coosalud S.A.

Americas

Colombia

Education, health and social work

consumer/user

50,984.92

Cenicoop, Confecoop

192

190

Limagrain

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

50,546.69

CoopFR - Top 100

193

204

Foodstuffs South Island

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

50,542.49

desk research

194

249

ZespriAsia and Pacific

New Zealand

Agriculture and food industries

producer

50,029.94

desk research

195-

Emssanar SAS

Americas

Colombia

Education, health and social work

consumer/user

49,485.31

Cenicoop, Confecoop

196

219

CEF

Europe

Italy

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

49,439.47

Orbis

197

213

Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd

Asia and Pacific

Australia

Agriculture and food industries

producer

49,426.16

desk research

198

210

SACMI

EuropeItaly

Industry

worker

49,382.06

Orbis

199

212

Landgard EGEuropeGermany

Agriculture and food industries

producer

48,433.04

desk research

200

193

California Dairies, Inc.

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

47,845.89

USDA

201

192

Barmenia Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual

47,703.17

desk research

202

181

NFU Mutual

EuropeUK

Insurance

mutual

47,571.26

Orbis

130

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

131

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

203

215

Swiss Mobiliar (La Mobilière)

EuropeSwitzerland

Insurance

consumer/user

47,291.89

desk research

204

208

Sentry Insurance

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

47,030.54

desk research

205

211

Agrifirm

EuropeNetherlands

Agriculture and food industries

producer

46,698.44

desk research

206

214

Royal Cosun

EuropeNetherlands

Agriculture and food industries

producer

46,652.82

desk research

207

207

Raiffeisen group

EuropeSwitzerland

Financial service

consumer/user

46,236.21

desk research

208

260

Gruppo ITAS

Europe

Italy

Insurance

mutual46,132.70

desk research

209

220

Granlatte

Europe

Italy

Agriculture and food industries

producer

45,596.74

Orbis

210

258

Agribank, FCB

Americas

USA

Financial service

consumer/user

44,582.18

desk research

211

226

Recreational Equipment Inc.

Americas

USA

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

44,269.70

desk research

212

232

Japan CO-OP Insurance Consumers' Co-operative Federation(JCIF)

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

consumer/user

44,187.83

submitted

213

230

Sperwer

EuropeNetherlands

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

42,681.03

Orbis

214

278

Western & Southern Financial

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

42,463.42

desk research

215-

Grupo AN (A. N. S. C.)

EuropeSpain

Agriculture and food industries

producer

41,841.03

Orbis

216

200

Cuna Mutual

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

41,677.25

desk research

217

238

Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar

EuropeSpain

Financial service

consumer/user

41,540.13

desk research

218

233

SSQ Financial Group

Americas

CanadaInsurance

mutual41,415.44

desk research

219

229

Lur Berri

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

41,407.99

desk research

220

221

Mutual of America Life

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

41,338.57

desk research

221

231

Valio Oy

EuropeFinlandAgriculture and food industries

producer

40,956.99

Finnish300+

222

175

Mutual SER

Americas

Colombia

Insurance

mutual

40,927.75

Cenicoop, Confecoop

223

236

U Co-op

Asia and PacificJapan

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

40,825.22

submitted

224

218

NTUC Income

Asia and PacificSingapore

Insurance

consumer/user

40,681.47

desk research132

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

133

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

225

223

HKScan Oyj

EuropeFinlandAgriculture and food industries

non coop

40,518.85

desk research

226

235

Unione Farmaceutica Novarese

Europe

Italy

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

39,778.72

Orbis

227

-

DCOOP

EuropeSpain

Agriculture and food industries

producer

39,316.33

Orbis

228

241

Euralis Groupe

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

39,307.79

CoopFR - Top 100

229

255

La Capitale

Americas

CanadaInsurance

mutual39,194.04

desk research

230

243

P&V

EuropeBelgium

Insurance

consumer/user

38,779.02

desk research

231

252

Basin Electric Power Cooperative

AmericasUSA

Utilities

consumer/user

38,775.86

desk research

232

257

Farmlands Trading Society

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand

Agriculture and food industries

producer

38,548.81

desk research

233

239

Silver Fern Farms

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand

Agriculture and food industries

non coop

38,496.06

desk research

234

248

Hochwald Milch Eg

EuropeGermany

Agriculture and food industries

producer

38,311.41

desk research

235

247

Maïsadour

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

38,144.16

desk research

236

294

LocalTapiola

EuropeFinlandInsurance

mutual

37,864.85

desk research

237-

Sinirli Sorumlu Bursa Eczacilar Uretim Temin
Ve Dagitim Kooperatifi Bursa Ecza Kooperatifi

EuropeTurkeyWholesale and retail trade

producer

37,600.78

Orbis

238

246

Volkswohl-Bund Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual

37,569.18

desk research

239

234

The Kyoei Fire & Marine Insurance Co

Asia and PacificJapan

Insurance

non coop

37,432.11

submitted

240

251

New York State Insurance Fund (NYSF)

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

37,099.40

desk research

241

256

Amica Mutual

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

37,031.05

desk research

242

265

The Midcounties Co-operative Limited

EuropeUK

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

36,543.17

desk research

243

263

Darigold

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

36,537.23

NCB

244

-

Bancoomeva

Americas

Colombia

Financial service

consumer/user

36,447.67

Cenicoop, Confecoop

245

242

Royal London

EuropeUK

Insurance

mutual

36,355.06

desk research

246

240

NTUC Fairprice Co-Operative Ltd

Asia and PacificSingapore

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

35,843.51

submitted

134

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

135

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

247-

Sinirli Sorumlu Istanbul Eczacilar
Uretim Temin Dagitim Kooperatifi

EuropeTurkeyWholesale and retail trade

producer

35,406.30

Orbis

248

253

Nortura SA

EuropeNorwayAgriculture and food industries

producer

35,292.93

desk research

249

262

MosadexEuropeNetherlands

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

35,072.00

desk research

250

244

FebelcoEuropeBelgium

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

34,866.29

Orbis

251

283

LBM Advantage

Americas

USA

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

34,659.44

NCB

252

259

Tine sa

EuropeNorwayAgriculture and food industries

producer

34,618.17

desk research

253

261

Hospital Contribution Fund (HCF)

Asia and Pacific

Australia

Insurance

mutual

34,433.71

desk research

254

-

Cofaq

EuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

34,057.29

CoopFR - Top 100

255-

Biocoop

EuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

multistakeholder

34,057.29

CoopFR - Top 100

256

264

Atria Oyj

EuropeFinlandAgriculture and food industries

non coop

33,978.30

desk research

257

271

La Mutuelle Générale

EuropeFranceInsurance

mutual33,586.16

desk research

258

286

Advitam (Unéal)

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

33,284.08

desk research

259-

Manutencoop

Europe

Italy

Other services

worker32,729.13

Orbis

260

-

WWK Versicherungen

EuropeGermany

Insurance

mutual32,546.10

desk research

261

270

Associated Food Stores

Americas

USA

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

32,383.82

NCB

262

279

Coopservice

Europe

Italy

Other services

worker32,363.22

desk research

263

272

Banca Popolare di Sondrio

EuropeItaly

Financial service

consumer/user

32,179.84

desk research

264

276

Milcobel

EuropeBelgium

Agriculture and food industries

producer

31,858.08

desk research

265-

BigmatEuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

31,361.09

CoopFR - Top 100

266

273

Ornua (ex Irish Dairy Board Co-operative Ltd)

EuropeIrelandAgriculture and food industries

producer

31,289.59

desk research

267-

Central Lechera Asturiana Sociedad Agraria De TransformacionNum 471 Limitada

EuropeSpain

Agriculture and food industries

producer

31,214.04

Orbis

268

282

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc.

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

31,109.48

USDA

136

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

137

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

269-

EquidadAmericas

Colombia

Insurance

consumer/user

31,077.32

Cenicoop, Confecoop

270-

Coop Nederland

EuropeNetherlands

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

30,981.61

submitted

271-

Cooperan

Americas

Colombia

Agriculture and food industries

producer

30,880.07

Cenicoop, Confecoop

272

227

National Life

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual30,321.43

desk research

273-

OSAKA KOIKINAMAKONKURITO KD

Asia and PacificJapan

Industry

producer

30,312.25

Orbis

274

291

Krys Group

EuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

30,027.18

CoopFR - Top 100

275

297

Fuer Sie Handelsgenossenschaft Eg food - non food

EuropeGermany

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

29,691.86

Orbis

276

-

Spółdzielnia Wydawniczo-Handlowa Książka i Wiedza

EuropePolandOther services

worker29,362.45

Orbis

277

285

EMC Insurance Companies

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual29,136.54

desk research

278-

Giropharm

EuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

29,090.60

CoopFR - Top 100

279

290

Conserve Italia

Europe

Italy

Agriculture and food industries

producer

28,772.11

Orbis

280

-

Alliance Group

Asia and Pacific

New Zealand

Agriculture and food industries

producer

28,491.61

desk research

281-

Arterris

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

28,474.34

desk research

282-

Sicarev

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

28,381.07

CoopFR - Top 100

283-

Seikatsu KR Koputohokusannettojigyorengo

Asia and PacificJapan

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

28,272.23

Orbis

284

-

DSW Zorgverzekeraar

EuropeNetherlands

Insurance

mutual28,113.42

desk research

285

287

Shelter Insurance

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

28,007.63

desk research

286

299

ZG Raiffeisen Eg

EuropeGermany

Agriculture and food industries

producer

27,601.97

desk research

287

-

ONVZ

EuropeNetherlands

Insurance

mutual27,270.47

desk research

288

-

Cavac

EuropeFranceAgriculture and food industries

producer

27,018.78

desk research

289

225

Ohio National Life

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual

26,857.49

desk research

290

295

Select Milk Producers, Inc.

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

26,658.73

USDA

138

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

139

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREPORT 2020

RANK
2018

RANK
2017

ORGANISATIONREGION

COUNTRYECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TYPE

TURNOVER/GDP PER CAPITA 2018

SOURCE

291-

Groupe Welcoop

EuropeFranceWholesale and retail trade

producer

26,564.69

CoopFR - Top 100

292-

Co-op Kyushu

Asia and PacificJapan

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

26,475.13

Orbis

293

296

Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.

Americas

USA

Agriculture and food industries

producer

26,117.58

USDA

294

293

CNS

Europe

Italy

Other services

worker

26,031.55

desk research

295-

Independent Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc.

Americas

USA

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

25,827.49

NCB

296

298

Central England Co-operative Limited

EuropeUK

Wholesale and retail tradeconsumer/user

25,700.14

desk research

297

-

Datev

EuropeGermany

Wholesale and retail trade

producer

25,647.56

desk research

298-

FIATC Mutua de Seguros

EuropeSpain

Insurance

mutual

25,506.48

desk research

299-

ANECOOP S.C.

EuropeSpain

Agriculture and food industries

producer

25,419.83

Orbis

300

275

Federated Mutual

Americas

USA

Insurance

mutual25,311.74

desk research*The figure includes the central and single coops

140** Includes subsidiaries and joint ventures

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

TOP 300: RANKINGS by turnover over GDP per capita

141

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYREFERENCES

142

Methodology and data sources

REPORT 2020

Abeygunawardena P., Vyas Y., Knill P., Foy Tim H.M., Steele P., Tanner T.,
Hirsch D., Oosterman M., Rooimans J., Debois M., Lamin M., Liptow
H., Mausolf E., Verheyen R., Agrawala S., Caspary G., Paris R., Kashyap A., Sharma A., Mathur A., Sharma M., Sperling F. (2009), Poverty
and climate change: reducing the vulnerability of the poor throughadaptation. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. http://documents.
worldbank.org/curated/en/534871468155709473/Poverty-and-climate-change-reducing-the-vulnerability-of-the-poor-through-adaptation
Barrot J.N., Grassi B.; Sauvagnat J. (2020), Sectoral effects of social distancing, April 2020, Working paper from Bocconi Covid Crisis Lab.
Bartik A. W., Bertrand M., Cullen Z., Glaeser E. L., Luca M., Stanton C. (2020),
The impact of COVID-19 on small business outcomes and expectations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(30),17656-17666.
Birchall J., Ketilson L. H. (2009), Resilience of the cooperative business modelin times of crisis. International Labour Organisation.
CICOPA (2020), COVID19: How cooperatives in industry and services are
responding to the crisis, article retrieved from https://www.cicopa.coop/news/covid19-how-cooperatives-in-industry-and-services-are-responding-to-the-crisis/#info
Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives [COPAC](n.d.), Transforming our world: A cooperative 2030 Cooperative
contributions to SDG 13. Available online at: https://www.ilo.org/
wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_ent/---coop/documents/
publication/wcms_723796.pdf
Cooperatives Europe (2020), The COVID-19 crisis and its economic and social
impact on cooperatives across Europe, CoopsEurope Survey Report.
Confecoop – Confederacìon de Cooperativas de Colombia (2020), Perspectivasde la actividad financier cooperativa 2020 – Covid-19. May Report.
Ding W., Levine R., Lin C., Xie W. (2020), Corporate immunity to the COVID-19
pandemic (No. w27055). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Dongre Y., Paranjothi T. (2020), Asia Pacific Cooperatives Responding to
Covid-19 Crisis. In Cooperatives and Social Innovation (pp. 271-283).
Springer, Singapore.
Eurocoop (2012), Climate change and consumer co-operatives: Taking thechallenge forward. Available online at: https://www.ica.coop/sites/
default/files/publication-files/eurocoopclimatechangeandconsumercooperatives2012-08-22-1724602862.pdf
European Parliament (2020), EU Support for artists and the cultural and creative sector during the coronavirus crisis, Briefing Report.
European Union (2020), Sustainable development in the European Union. Monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context. 2020
Edition. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union,
2020. doi:10.2785/555257
Finextra, Ebury authorised to provide SME funding under Italian Government’s
Coronavirus guarantee scheme, article retrieved from: https://www.finextra.com/pressarticle/82333/ebury-authorised-to-provide-sme-funding-under-italian-governments-coronavirus-guarantee-scheme
Food and Agriculture Organisation [FAO] (n.d.), “Confronting climate change
through cooperative enterprise”. Message from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in occasion of the
11th UN International Day of Cooperatives
International Council for Science (2017), A Guide to SDG Interactions: from
Science to Implementation. International Council for Science, Paris.
DOI:10.24948/2017.01.

International Labour Organisation [ILO] (2013), Providing clean energy and energy access through cooperatives. International Labour Office (ILO),
Cooperatives Unit (ENT/COOP), Green Jobs Program. - Geneva: ILO.
International Labour Organization (2020a), Cooperatives and wider SSE enterprises respond to COVID-19 disruptions, and government measures
are being put in place, retrieved from: https://www.ilo.org/global/
topics/cooperatives/news/WCMS_740254/lang--en/index.htm
International Labour Organisation [ILO] (2020b), “Cooperatives play an activerole in tackling global crises”, Statement of the ILO Director-General in occasion of the 2020 International Day of Cooperatives.
Available online at: https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/howthe-ilo-works/ilo-director-general/statements-and-speeches/
WCMS_749757/lang--en/index.htm
Michie J., Blasi J. R., Borzaga C. (Eds.) (2017), The Oxford handbook of mutual,
co-operative, and co-owned business. Oxford University Press.
OECD (2020a), Evaluating the initial impact of Covid-19 containment measureson economic activity, OECD Coronavirus Report.
OECD (2020b), Coronavirus (Covid-19): SME policy responses, OECD Policy
Responses to Coronavirus (Covid-19) – July Update.
Rozenberg J., Hallegatte S. (2015), The Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty
in 2030 and the Potential from Rapid, Inclusive,and Climate‐Informed Development. Policy Research Working Paper 7483. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. http://documents1.worldbank.org/
curated/en/349001468197334987/pdf/WPS7483.pdf
SEWF (2020), Global social enterprise responses to Coronavirus, retrieved
from: https://sewfonline.com/home/building-capacity-and-capability/
global-response-to-coronavirus/
SMART Cooperative (2020), The Corona Plan, SMART Report.
Sustainability Solutions Group (2014), A co-operative solution to climatechange. Available online at: http://www.ssg.coop/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/141205_Co-ops-and-climate-change_v4.pdf
TANGO International (2020), COVID-19 Impact Survey Report, Report Commissioned by Venture37.
United Nations (2018), The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2018. Available online at: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2018.
United Nations (2020), The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020. Available online at: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2020/.
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [UNDESA] (2020),
Policy Brief #81: Impact of COVID-19 on SDG progress: a statisticalperspective. Available online at https://www.un.org/development/
desa/dpad/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/publication/PB_81.pdf
United Nation Environment program (2017), Oceans: marine pollution. Sustainable Development Goals Policy Brief 2017|001. Available online
at: https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/22331/
SDG_Brief_001_MarPollution.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=yf
United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives [USFWC] (2020), Alongside
National Partners, The USFWC Calls For Co-Op Support for the
Paycheck Protection Program, article retrieved from: https://www.
usworker.coop/blog/alongside-national-partners-the-usfwc-callsfor-co-op-support-for-the-paycheck-protection-program/
Voinea A. (2020, May 7). Argentinian worker co-ops affected by Covid-19 ask
government for more help. CoopNews.

143

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYTEAM,
ADVISORY COMMITTEE,ORGANISATIONAL PARTNERS

144

Team, advisory committee, organisational partners

REPORT 2020TEAM
CHIARA CARINI
EuricseDAVIDE MANDELLI
EuricseHYUNGSIK EUM
ICAPIERALBERTO TRECCANI
EuricseILANA GOTZ
EuricseSTEFANIA TURRI
EuricseADVISORY COMMITTEEICA AFRICAICA ASIA-PACIFIC
COOPERATIVES OF THE AMERICASCOOPERATIVES EUROPE
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION OF INDUSTRIAL ANDSERVICE COOPERATIVESCICOPA

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE AND MUTUAL INSURANCEFEDERATIONICMIFCONSUMER CO-OPERATIVES WORLDWIDE
CCW
CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING INTERNATIONAL
CHICOMMITTEE ON COOPERATIVE RESEARCHCCR

INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATIONICAOMANLIO CALZARONI
Expert in statistics

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE FISHERIES ORGANISATIONICFOSILVIA SACHETTI
University of Trento, Italy

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE BANK ASSOCIATIONICBAGIANLUCA SALVATORISecretary General, EURICSE

Team, advisory committee, organisational partners

145

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYPROMOTERSInternational Cooperative Alliance (ICA)
www.ica.coop
The International Cooperative Alliance is an independent, non-governmental association which
unites, represents and serves cooperatives worldwide. Founded in 1895, the ICA has member
organisations in 100 countries active in all sectors of the economy. Together these cooperatives
represent nearly one billion individuals worldwide.

European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprise (Euricse)
www.euricse.eu
The mission of the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises is topromote knowledge development and innovation for the field of cooperatives, social enterprises and other non-profit organisations engaged in the production of goods and services. The
Institute aims to deepen the understanding of these types of organisations and their impact on
economic and social development, furthering their growth and assisting them to work more
effectively. Through activities directed toward and in partnership with both the scholarly community and practitioners, including primarily theoretical and applied research and training, we
address issues of national and international interest to this sector, favouring openness andcollaboration.

146

Team, advisory committee, organisational partners

REPORT 2020

ORGANISATIONAL PARTNERS

Made possible by the support of our organisational partners
Banco Credicoop
It was established in 1979 through the merger of 44 Argentine credit unions. This merger was
motivated largely by the adverse effect of the Financial Entities Law of 1977 had on this sector.
Today, Banco Credicoop is Argentina’s eleventh-largest bank by total assets and ninth largest
by deposits (US$2.8 billion); Nearly all of this is accounted for by its over 670,000 members,
and Credicoop maintains 244 branches. It is also a lender in a country where domestic credit
is difficult to access, holding a net loan portfolio of US$1.7 billion (3.5% of the domestic total).
Loans to small and medium businesses accounted for 70% of this, and the credit union holds
5% of the nation’s domestic loans to this sector.
Buldana Urban Cooperative Credit Society
It was founded on 15 August 1986. It has a size of 1.1-billion-dollar business with more thanhalf a million (700,000) membership. The area of operation is mainly in central and western
India in four states of India. The society has 451 branches and 7000 employee and 300 warehouses. Business activities are mainly in warehouse loan business, gold loan business, industrial finance, infrastructure finance business, housing loan and vehicle loans, individual loans
and educational loans.
Cooperative Obrera
Founded in Bahía Blanca in the year 1920 when a group of 173 residents of Bahía Blanca decided to join to form a cooperative bakery that would ensure the right price, the exact weight andquality of bread, such a vital food. In 1932 its first cooperative store was opened. Today it has
1.6 million associates and 5,000 workers. It is the second large consumer cooperative in Latin
America. It has its own quality control laboratory. It also has own credit cards which facilitatesaccess to credit to its members.
Fundación Espriu
Fundación Espriu represents a network of Spanish entities that follow the cooperative healthmodel created by Dr Josep Espriu. It comprises two big corporate groups, Asisa and Assistència, both headed and owned by cooperatives and leaders in the healthcare and insurance sectors. It includes insurance firms, hospitals and medical centres, IT companies, research laboratories, home emergency services companies and an assisted reproductive centre. Espriu’s
network provides quality health services to more than 2,6 million people in Spain and creates
more than 6,200 direct jobs.

Team, advisory committee, organisational partners

147

EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMY

Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO)
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) is one of India’s biggest cooperative societies, and is wholly owned by Indian Cooperatives. Founded in 1967 with just 57 cooperatives,
they are today an amalgamation of over 36,000 Indian Cooperatives with diversified businessinterests ranging from General Insurance to Rural Telecom in addition to their core businessof manufacturing and selling fertilizers. With its vast marketing network IFFCO reaches morethan 5.5 million farmers in India.
International Health Cooperative Organisation IHCO
IHCO is an international organisation founded in 1996 that brings together healthcare cooperatives from 14 countries. As a sector of the ICA, it is made up of cooperative businesses active inprimary and specialised healthcare, hospitals’ management, health insurance, socio-healthcare, promotion, health literacy and pharmacy distribution. IHCO activity is addressed to showcase cooperatives as an alternative private actor who combines economic goals with social
values; to highlight the global scale of the cooperative business model in the health sector; andraise awareness about its added value as people-oriented companies.
The Kibbutz Movement
The Kibbutz (Hebrew word for “gathering”) Movement is the largest settlement movement inIsrael. It was re-organized in 1999 as a merger between two Kibbutz organizations and includes 257 members (kibbutzim). The kibbutz is a multi-purpose cooperative, binding together
community, housing, and production means. The majority of kibbutzim are rural communities,
based on principles of joint ownership, equality and cooperation in production, consumption
and education, providing mutual aid to their members.
Midcounties Coop
The Midcounties Co-operative is the largest independent consumer cooperative in the UK, withover 700,000 members. It operates a range of businesses in Food, Travel, Healthcare, Funeral,
Childcare, Energy, Post Offices, Flexible Benefits and Telecoms. It was formed in 2005, by themerger of the Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Co-operative Society and the West Midlands
Co-operative Society. The Midcounties Co-operative generates annual gross sales of over
£1bn, has over 400 Trading Sites, 8,000 colleagues and over 700,000 members. It focuses on
enabling their members to influence, connect and co-operate in joint activities that benefit
their Society, their members and their communities.

148

Team, advisory committee, organisational partners

REPORT 2020

Mondragon Corporation
MONDRAGON groups 98 cooperatives located mainly in the Basque Autonomous Region of
Spain, and in their majority SMEs. It is the largest business group in the Basque Autonomous
Region and the tenth in Spain. Its origins go back to 1956, when the first industrial worker
cooperative was established in Mondragon, then a very small Basque town. It is a cross-sectoral group organized into four major areas: industry, distribution, finance and knowledge. Its
mission combines the basic objectives of a business organization competing in international
markets with the use of democratic and participatory governance, job creation, human andprofessional promotion of its workers and commitment to social and economic developmentof its territory.
National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF)
NACF was borne out of the integration of the former agricultural cooperatives and the Agricultural Bank in 1961. Since then, NACF has played a crucial role not only in improving theconditions of farmers economically, socially and culturally, but also in contributing to the balanced development of the Korean economy. NACF and its member cooperatives are engaged
in diversified business activities and support services to meet the need of member farmers andother clients. They can be grouped into three broad categories: banking sector, non-banking
sector (commercial business), and support service sector. They also handle the farm credit
guarantee service for the government.
OCB System
Co-operatives in Brazil number 6.6 thousand with 11 million members and they provide 320
thousand direct jobs. As a differentiated business model, Brazilian co-operatives rely on thepermanent support of OCB System to defend and promote their interests and rights. The system is composed of three institutions working together. The Brazilian Cooperatives Organization (OCB) is the representative entity, acting to promote the efficiency and economic andsocial effectiveness of co-operatives – either in Brazil or overseas. The National Service of
Cooperative Learning (Sescoop) promotes actions, courses and programs for the management
and social development of the co-operatives. Finally, the Brazilian National Confederation of
Cooperatives (CNCoop) provides union representation of the economic category interests in the
co-operativist sector with public and private agencies.

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Rabobank
Rabobank Group is a Dutch cooperative banking group born from small agricultural cooperative banks in the late 19th century. Today Rabobank operates in 39 countries and employs
over 40,000 people worldwide. Rabobank Group is comprised of Rabobank, local Rabobanks,and its internationally based subsidiaries. Conditioned by its cooperative roots, the nature of
Rabobank Group is characterised by strong mutual relationships. Rabobank is one of the Netherlands’ largest cooperatives with nearly two million members.
S-Group
S Group is a Finnish network of consumer cooperatives operating in the retail and service
sectors, mainly in Finland but also in Estonia and in Russia. S Group comprises 19 regional
cooperatives and SOK Corporation along with its subsidiaries. SOK Corporation was founded
in 1904 and it`s owned by the regional cooperatives. Regional cooperatives are owned by theircooperative members and they operate according to the cooperative principles. Today by turnover, S Group is the biggest cooperative group in Finland. S Group’s key business areas are thesupermarket trade, department stores, specialty stores, the hardware trade, service station
store and fuel sales, and the travel industry and hospitality business. In addition, S-Bank offersbanking services to cooperative members. Individual cooperatives conduct also automotive
trade and services.
Sancor Seguros
The Sancor Seguros Group is a financial cooperative institution based in Sunchales, province ofSanta Fe, Argentina. It was founded in 1945. The cooperative manages different specialized organizations, including: Sancor Seguros (insurer) Prevención ART Prevención Salud, Prevención
Retiro, Alianza Inversora, CITES, Fundación Grupo Sancor Seguros and Banco del Sol. As of
March 2020, it has a capital of 363 million dollars. It has more than 7 million capita insurance
and 170 thousand health affiliates. It has about 8,300 associated producers and 3,330 employees. It opened subsidiaries in Uruguay in 2006, Paraguay in 2009 and Brazil in 2013.

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Smart
Established in 1998 as non-profit association specialised in offering economic activity andcontract management services, insurance services, legal and consulting services, informationand training, co-workspaces, and mutual financial tools mainly to artists, Smart Belgium wasconverted into a cooperative in 2016 and has a French and Belgian management. More recently
it has opened itself to freelancers of all sectors of activities. Smart Belgium has organised a
process for converting itself into a multi- stakeholder cooperative (workers, clients, partners,
service providers etc.). Smart has disseminated to another 8 European countries through similar cooperatives, with a total of 85,000 members.
UP Group
Founded in 1964 as a consumer cooperative, it became a worker cooperative in 1972. It designs
and markets products and services that facilitate access to food, culture, recreation, education,home help, social assistance but also accompanies companies in the management of theirprofessional expenses or in the animation of stimulation and fidelity devices. It offers a wide
range of titles and services for companies, works councils, communities and individuals. The
group is also present in the software solutions market for personal services structures. Present in 19 countries on all continents, the Up group works for more than 24.5 million customers
and is the world number three in lunch vouchers.

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Dot coop
Unite and empower cooperatives online – our mission, our singular goal that drives everything
we do.
At DotCoop, we unite the cooperative community through a shared online identity and platform
where cooperative organizations can participate, inform, educate, and pioneer a path for others
to join and support the cooperative movement.
We empower cooperatives to participate and thrive in the digital economy. Our resources include the provisioning of .coop domain names, the .coop Global Directory, educational support
programs, and the Cooperative Marque.
Every cooperative that uses a .coop domain name as the primary address for their website
elevates their cooperative identity, principles, and purpose. It unites the cooperative movement
online with a shared identity. It transforms an organization’s value from a lone contributor toan active participant of a global online network.
DotCoop is jointly owned by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA), two non-profit organizations with a mission todevelop the global cooperative movement.

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EXPLORING THE COOPERATIVE ECONOMYCREDITS

Attribution 3.0
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Contents
Euricse Research Team
Graphic Design
BigFive

Printing completed in December 2020
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