Welcome

There are a small number of cooperative and mutually-owned businesses in New Zealand

And their contribution to the economy is huge

They range from a cooperative of travel retailers with around 20 members, through the dairy co-op which is by far the country’s largest commercial business with 10,500 farmer members, to a cooperative bank which has a little under 140,000 members.

To say that cooperative and mutual business is important here is an understatement.

Member-owned businesses whose membership shares are not traded on the stock exchange, some keep a low profile. An increasing number, though, are seeing that being a cooperative or a mutual is an advantage to be actively promoted, and do so.

Find out more

If you are a member of a cooperative in New Zealand, or you work for one, and you want to find out what makes co-ops so successful, you’ve come to the right place.

Or if you’re thinking about starting a cooperative, you’ve also come to the right place.

There are useful resources on this site for you both, so take a good look and if you have any questions, get in touch.   

The International Year of Cooperatives

2012 is the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives, highlighting the contribution of cooperatives to socioeconomic development worldwide.

To find out more visit our IYC website at newzealand2012.coop