Source: ICA

Dear Co-operator

Your views count: Global Co-operative Image

We'd like your help in realising the ICA's Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade by participating in a short survey on key messages and a visual identity for the global co-operative movement. The ICA Board has decided that there was such strong acceptance of the logo for the International Year of Co-operatives that we should develop a subsequent image for co-operatives around the world to use at least through the Co-operative Decade.

Our survey has been designed to capture the thoughts and feelings of co-operators all over the world about the most important attributes of co-operation. Your answers will help to test our ideas about the best way to unite co-operatives around common messages and a new global logo, a 'co-operative marque'.

The survey should take no more than 10 minutes of your time. You can give us your valuable input here.

We're keen to get the widest possible participation by engaging co-operators from all around the world, representing every economic sector from grass roots members to co-operative leaders. Please feel free to send this questionnaire on to your colleagues.

The survey will close on 9th May 2013.

Thank you for participating!

Charles Gould
Director-General, ICA

25 March 2013 | The Land

A new approach to landholder-driven carbon-based income is on the table: the Australian Carbon Co-operative.

The initiative of ecologist Johannes Bauer, the co-operative takes a fresh approach to generating carbon from private land, and also to the way landholders profit from carbon.

Read full article

Australia's first worker-owned green manufacturing plant celebrated the installation of its first solar hot water system and held a press conference on Monday, 22 April at Kildonan Uniting Care in Coburg Victoria, to discuss this progressive approach to jobs saving and building the new generation of green technologies manufacturing.

Representatives of Earthworker, business partners and trade union officials including Ged Kearney, ACTU president were onsite to witness the unveiling of the solar system on the roof of the Uniting Church facility.

• Read the press release
     
• Why choose a co-operative?

Why are employee-owned businesses better?

Employee-owned firms are more productive and their employees are better off:*

• Firms that are owned by their employees or where they have a stake in the business through a share ownership plan are 4-5% more productive than comparable companies
• They are also 25% more likely to survive than comparable companies and the employees are four times less likely to get laid off in a downturn
• 98% of co-operatives are still trading after their first three years compared to 65% of all business
• Over a 25% year period employee owned companies have 25% higher job growth
• Employees at employee-owned firms receive 5-15% more in wages
• Employee owned businesses do not close for reason of moving to another country

High profile examples of employee-owned firms:

• Australia - Arup (in BRW)
• UK - John Lewis (in BRW)
• US - Publix (in BRW)

Australian example of a manufacturing firm where jobs were saved because the plant was transferred to employee ownership rather than closing:

• C-mac Industries (case study and video)

*Sources

• Employee Ownership Australia
• National Centre for Employee Ownership
• Employee Ownership Association UK

The formation of three new co-operatives suggests the renaissance of the co-operative is here.

Buy Local, Buy Co-op - The Co-operative Food Group

Built on the theme, ‘Buy Local, Buy Co-op,’ The Co-operative Food Group (TCFG) recently formed as a wholesale co-operative to give more buying opportunities to the independent sector.

Beginning as a simple idea in 2009, the co-op now boasts 21 members, owning 43 stores and supported by at least 30 retail suppliers, with more looking to join. The co-op looks to turnover in excess of $3 million in its first year of trading.

Members have access to better margins from their buys through the co-operative and participate in a loyalty rebate that returns the co-ops profitability to its members.

The co-op believes it will have at least 50 members within three years of starting, mainly supermarkets, convenience stores and specialty food businesses including fruit and vegetable stores.

Secretary, Richard O’Leary, also CEO of Macleay Regional Co-operative, said, “From a good idea, the business is being grown by passionate managers and a loyal membership. We will build our business on the theme “Buy Local, Buy Co-op.’

Australian Carbon Co-operative

The Australian Carbon Co-operative (ACC) has had its application for co-operative status accepted, after almost two years in formation. They are Australia’s first co-operative specialising in ecosystem based carbon sequestration through forestry and natural regeneration of marginal agricultural land.

ACC Chairperson, Johannes Bauer, on the process of formation, said:

“At ACC we have tried to apply the co-operative model to ecosystem based carbon sequestration for Australian farmers but not restricted to those. We have worked to get the framework and obligations right, for almost two years now, because we are convinced that nothing less will do. And we are in full agreement that only the co-operative business model will ensure that this new landuse, which after all we expect will save us from a changing climate will do what it is supposed to do and not turn the whole process into a speculative business bonanza we CANNOT afford any longer.”

This method of carbon sequestration through land renewal can offset carbon emissions by up to six tonnes of carbon per year per hectare, depending on location. ACC aims to act as an aggregator of individual landholders’ project areas to develop economies of scale to market the accrued carbon credits to the broader community.

ACC will provide landholders with expertise required to make use of the carbon market. Important to note is that the market for carbon credits is not dependant on the Australian government policy, as there is an established world market seeking carbon credits.

Earthworker Co-operative

The first installation of a Eureka's Future Workers Cooperative solar hot water system is occurring now at a Coburg Uniting Church facility, community organisation Kildonan, 512 Sydney Rd Coburg, Victoria. Earthworker will hold a press conference to mark the milestone onsite, on Monday, 22 April at 10am. The press conference will be attended by ACTU President, Ged Kearney.