October is Co-op Month!

This October, Eastside Food Co-op is joining over 65,000 co-operatives and credit unions across the United States in celebrating Co-op Month, observed nationally since 1964. The theme for 2024, “The Future is Cooperative,” was chosen by the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA) as an opportunity to engage co-op members, customers, employees, and policy makers about what makes co-operative enterprise unique.  As businesses that are owned and controlled by the people who use them to meet their shared needs, co-ops offer an alternative vision for a more inclusive economy that puts people and the future of our planet before profit.

From farmer co-ops to worker co-ops, credit unions to mutual insurance, and housing co-ops to energy co-ops, co-operative businesses thrive across the U.S. economy, where 1 in three people are co-op members.

“Co-operatives make a big difference in our local communities,” said Erbin Crowell, NFCA Executive Director and a member of the Board of Directors of NCBA CLUSA.  “But many people are surprised by how our movement and business model is also recognized around the world.”

For example, the United Nations General Assembly recently declared 2025 the second International Year of Co-operatives, acknowledging the contribution of the movement to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the urgent need to build a more inclusive, resilient, and global economy.  Around the world, around 1 billion people are co-op members, and 10% of the world’s population is employed by co-operatives.  Because they are controlled by the people who use them to meet their needs, co-operatives are rooted in their communities. 

“The decision by the General Assembly could not be timelier. The innovative contributions of co-operatives for sustainable development will be crucial for accelerating progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals as we approach 2030,” said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. “The second International Year of Cooperatives will be an opportunity to mobilize all stakeholders to support and expand co-operatives everywhere, strengthening their contributions for a better world.”

Stop in at Eastside food co-op during Co-op Month to learn more about what makes co-operatives different.

For more information on Co-op Month and resources on co-operatives, please visit https://nfca.coop.