In this section, you will learn about “history of cooperative societies”.

History And Genesis Of Cooperative Movement In The World

The co-operative Movement first emerged in Europe during the nineteenth century. Although scholarly research remains in disagreement about exactly where the movement began, many trace its origins back to a number of Cooperative experiences that developed in Britain and France in the eighteenth century, especially in the farming industry and consumer organizations

During the years of the industrial revolution, co-operatives (co-ops) spread across all Western countries as a reaction to the negative side-effects of industrialization. At that time, cooperatives became a means of economic organization for workers. Regardless of their type, size, geographical location, or purpose, cooperatives provided a tool by which to achieve one or more economic goals, such as improving bargaining power when dealing with other businesses, bulk purchasing to guarantee lower prices, obtaining products or services otherwise unavailable, gaining market access or broadening market opportunities, improving product or service quality, securing credit from financial institutions, and increasing income.

The earliest cooperative were started by weavers and workers in cottage industries. The earliest record of a cooperative comes from Fenwick, Scotland where, in March 14, 1761, in a barely furnished cottage local weavers manhandled a sack of oatmeal into John Walker\’s whitewashed front room and began selling the contents at a discount, forming the Fenwick Weavers\’ Society.

In 1844, a group of 28 artisans working in the cotton mills in the town of Rochdale, in the north of England established the first modern co-operative business, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society. The weavers faced miserable working conditions and low wages, and they could not afford the high prices of food and household goods. They decided that by pooling their scarce resources and working together they could access basic goods at a lower price, which they were otherwise unable to do.

The real co-operative movement can be credited to Rochdale Equitable Pioneers  who established the cooperative consumer store in North England, which can be called as the first in the cooperative consumer movement.

Cooperative Movements in different Countries

We can find the following global cooperative movements during different periods.

• Great Britain: In Great Britain, Robert Owen (1771-1858) established self contained semi-agricultural, semi-industrial communities and Dr. William King (1757-1865) helped to spread Owen’s doctrine.

Robert Owen (1771-1858), is generally regarded as the founder of the modern co-operative movement

• India: The cooperative movement in India began in the early twentieth century, and then it spread to other Asian and African countries. It also spread into capitalist countries such as the United States of America, Canada, Israel and Australia.
• Germany: Germany is the birthplace of co-operative Agfricultural credit movement in the World. In India, the inspiration for the co-operative movement come largely form Germany. F.W. Raiffeisen and Herrman Franz Schulze Delitzsh, helped farmers and laborers, started making experiments with various methods of relief. In 1850, Schulze established his first credit society to raise funds to be lent to its members.
• Israel: The first agricultural collective settlement at Dagania in the Jordan Valley during 1908 is the main cooperative movement.
• Italy: Luigi Luzzati was the first and Dr. Leone Wollemburg was the second Pioneer in cooperative movement of Italy during 1880s. They concentrated on improving the conditions of the poor people.
• Sweden: During 1870, the cooperative movement stared in Sweden in industrial sector.
• Canada: In 1861, the coalminers had started a co-operative store in Novascotia, followed by the 1911, Saskatchewan Elevator Co. in support of the government to set up a Wheat Board for agricultural farmers.
• Denmark: Credit associations were started in 1850 to solve problems of the credit through a special law.
• Russia: The first attempts in Russia made during 1864 through organizing co-operative stores and credit societies
• Japan: In 1879, the cooperative movement was stated in the form of consumer’s cooperatives as a reaction to soaring prices.
• China :Famines, floods, mutual quarrels and Japanese war were the major causes of cooperative movement in China. In 1912, the founder of Chinese Republic, Dr. Sun Yet Sen, pioneered the cooperative moment.

International Cooperative Alliance and International cooperative day

International Cooperative alliance

It is a non-governmental cooperative federation representing the global cooperatives and the cooperative movement and it was founded in 1895.

it’s headquarter is at Brussels, Belgium.

Total members:313 cooperative federations.

It publishes an annual report called, “World Cooperative Monitor” since 2011. It’s purpose is to develop a multi-dimensional database reporting on the socio-economic value and impact of cooperatives both within a global scenario and in their regional and national contexts. The World Cooperative Monitor is the successor to the former Global 300 project. 

International day Of Cooperatives (Coops Day).

Coops day is an annual celebration of the cooperative movement observed on the first saturday of each july since 1923 and started by International Cooperative Alliance.

This year, that is in 2021, 3rd july was celebrated as “international Cooperation Day” with the theme, “Rebuild Better Together“. On this day, cooperatives from all over the world demonstrated how they are responding to Covid-19 pandemic.

It was formally declared as an international day by United Nations general Assembly on 16 december 1992 and then celebrated since the centennial of ICA in 1995 (ICA was established in 1895, if you remember the previous lessons).

since 1995, the International Cooperative Alliance and the UNcommittee, named as “committee for the promotion and advancement of cooperatives (COPAC), jointly determine the theme of the Cooperative day.

This year’s cooperative day was UN’s 27th international day (counted since 1995) of cooperatives and 99th international cooperative day.

Themes of International Days Of Cooperation in different years.

Note: 2012 was designated as the international year of cooperatives by the UN general Assembly.

This was all about the history of cooperative societies. We are sure that you will find this section on history of cooperative societies very useful and hope that you will share them with your friends.