Useful links
Resources in New Zealand and overseas
- Cooperatives in New Zealand
- Other New Zealand mutuals, credit unions, friendly societies & similar entities
- New Zealand government links
- National & state association, councils & co-op development agencies
- Consumer co-ops
- Agricultural co-ops
- Worker cooperatives
- Cooperative education, training & museums
- Cooperative housing
- Cooperative publishing & publications
- Community & other co-ops
- Telecommunications
- International cooperative organisations
- Financial services organisations
- Political
- Internet resources
- 2012 International Year of Cooperatives videos
Found a broken link, or any spelling mistook’s? Let us know — send an email
Cooperatives in New Zealand
- Member businesses of the New Zealand Cooperatives Association
Other New Zealand mutuals, credit unions, friendly societies & similar entities
- New Zealand Association of Credit Unions
- Southern Cross Medical Care Society
- Manchester Unity Friendly Society Group
New Zealand government links
- NZ Government Online
- Companies Office – the starting point for registering a new cooperative and finding some information on some existing co-ops – no-one knows exactly how many cooperatives are operating in New Zealand (!) but their database is currently being worked on
- Info on different kinds of cooperative business on the Companies Office website
- Info on forming a cooperative company on the Companies Office website
- Info on industrial and provident societies on the Companies office website
- Description of Te Awanui Huka Pak on the Te Puni Kokiri website. Te Awanui Huka Pak Cooperative Ltd removed the word "cooperative" from their name at the request of the Ministry of Economic Development seeing as they were not registered as a cooperative company.
National & state associations, councils & co-op development agencies
Australia
- Cooperatives Australia the national body for cooperative federations
- Cooperative Federation of New South Wales
- Cooperative Federation of Victoria
- Cooperatives WA Western Australia’s cooperative federation
- The Mercury Centre specialises in building collaborative enterprises through consultancy, research, information, advice and training
- Cooperative Development Services Ltd a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates self help initiatives using the cooperative business model
Canada
- Canadian Cooperative Association Anglophone cooperative association
- Conseil Canadien de la Cooperation Francophone cooperative association
- Canadian Worker Cooperative Federation
- Global Cooperation Consultancy
- Manitoba Cooperative Association a provincial association of cooperative organisations
China
- All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives one of the apex organisations of the Chinese cooperative movement
- International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives started by Rewi Alley in 1937, this was revived in 1987, the committee gets assistance from the Canadian Cooperatives Association
- All China Federation of Handicraft & Industrial Cooperatives
European Community
- Cooperatives Europe uniting, representing, promoting and defending cooperatives in Europe
- ARIES network of social economy organisations
- Cogeca the united voice for farmers and their cooperatives in the European Union
- COPAC Committee for Promotion & Advancement of Cooperatives, Geneva, Switzerland
- European Community of Consumer Co-ops
India
- National Cooperative Union of India apex organisation of the Indian cooperative movement
Indonesia
- Dekopin apex organisation of the Indonesian cooperative movement
Iran
- Iran Central Chamber of Cooperatives apex organisation of the Iranian cooperative movement (site in Farsi)
Kenya
- Cooperative Alliance of Kenya the driving force of the cooperative movement in Kenya
Malta
- APEX representing and promoting the cooperative movement – "Maltese cooperatives mean business"
Malaysia
- Angkasa National Cooperative Organisation of Malaysia
Mongolia
- Mongolian Cooperatives Network a range of valuable information and useful services for co-ops and their commercial partners
New Zealand
- New Zealand Cooperatives Association that's us – a link back to our home page
- The way we were: a snapshot of the Association’s website in 2006
Philippines
- NATCCO National Federation of Cooperatives
Scotland
- Cooperative Development Scotland supporting and developing cooperative enterprise across Scotland
- Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society experts on cooperative and collaborative strategies, structures and management, providing a range of development and consultancy services, supported by the Scottish Government
Turkey
- Turkish Cooperative Association - has useful English language publications available online
United Kingdom
- Cooperatives UK the peak body for cooperative enterprise throughout the UK
- Cooperative Assistance Network specialist training consultancy for co-ops
- English Farm and Food Partnerships giving farmers a profitable and sustainable future through the growth of market focused and professionally run farmer-controlled businesses, developing cooperation and partnership activities
- Cooperative & Community Finance providing loan finance for cooperatives, employee-owned businesses and social enterprises for 30 years
- Cooperative Futures is a dynamic cooperative policy and development agency supporting the development of social enterprises in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Swindon and Wiltshire
- CaSE-da an East Midlands co-op which has been acting as a cooperative and social enterprise development agency since 1982
- Northern Ireland Co-op Development Agency
- Radical Routes cooperatives working for social change
- Tower Hamlets Cooperative Development Agency providing business support to cooperatives, community owned businesses and social enterprises in east London since 1984
- Woodcraft Folk educational movement for young people
- Wales Cooperative Centre supporting the development of cooperatives and social enterprises in Wales
USA
- National Cooperative Business Association - similar to this Association, an advocate for cooperative enterprise
- Co-op Month - annual celebrations playing a key role in promoting cooperatives to members, the public and poicy makers.
- USDA Rural Development business and cooperative programs
Consumer co-ops
Australia
- Barossa Community Store retail cooperative
- Capricorn automotive supplies cooperative with members in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
- Independent Liquor Group cooperative wholesaler
- Plumbers Supplies as the name suggests, a co-op for plumbers
Canada
- Cooperative Auto Network Vancouver car sharing network
- Guelph Campus Co-op bookstore and co-op housing for students
- Natural Burial Co-op promoting natural burial funeral services and product which enhance, protect and preserve our natural environment
Italy
Japan
- Japanese Consumer Cooperatives Union their slogan is "for a better tomorrow"
- The Consumer Cooperative Institute of Japan is a thinktank of the Japanese cooperative movement. Follow this link for English language newsletters which focus on their research publications
Kuwait
United Kingdom
- Chelmsford Star Co-op
- Cooperative Group
- Heart of England Co-op
- Leeds Co-op
- Lincoln Co-op
- Midlands Co-op
- Musselburgh & Fisherrow Co-op
- National Cooperative Chemists
- Oxford Swindon & Gloucester Co-op
- Penrith Co-op
- Plymouth & South West Society
- Scottish Midland Co-op
- Shoefayre
- Southern Co-op
- The Wine Society since 1874, member owned exclusively for their benefit
- United Norwest Co-op
- West Midlands Co-op
- Yorkshire Co-op
USA
- National Cooperative Grocer Association
- Cooperative Grocers Information Network a collaborative initiative of retail food co-ops
- Cooperative Grocer a lively, colourful bimonthly magazine for retailers and cooperators in the USA and Canada, the natural food co-ops' national trade magazine
- Oklahoma Food Co-op uniquely bringing together producers with consumers
- Olympia Food Co-op
- Weaver Street Market a cooperative grocery store with both consumer-owners and workers-owners
- Mississippi Market natural food co-op
- Midwest Natural Food Co-ops Food stores owned by the people in the communities they serve
Agricultural co-ops
Australia
- Co-operative Bulk Handling Western Australia grain marketing cooperative
- Murray Goulburn since 1950, a major player in the global dairy trade
Canada
- Gay Lea Foods Ontario co-op owned by 1200 dairy farmers
Fiji
- Nature’s Way Cooperative marketing farm produce such as breadfruit, eggplant, mango, pawpaw
India
- Amul Gujurat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation – the taste of India
- IFFCO Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative
- National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India promoting and developing the dairy industry
- Nandini Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers Federation
Iran
- Central Union of Rural and Agricultural Cooperatives of Iran producing, purchasing, preparing and providing all kinds of materials, goods, equipment, and machinery for farmer members
Korea, Republic of
- National Agricultural Cooperative Federation promoting sales of agricultural products, providing banking services to the rural sector
Norway
- Federation of Norwegian Agricultural Cooperatives owned by 50,000 farmers, the cooperatives are engaged in comprehensive commercial activities, food processing and sales of raw materials from farming and forestry as well as insurance, financial services, livestock breeding and purchasing equipment.
United Kingdom
- Clynderwen & Cardiganshire Farmers Ltd
- Cooperative Group - Broadoak Farms
- Federation of Agricultural Co-ops
- Plunkett Foundation
- Stepping Stones Housing Co-op owns and manages a 30 acre farm on permaculture lines
USA
- National Council of Farmers Cooperatives
- Land O'Lakes dairy co-op founded in 1921
- WoodWorks a sustainable forestry initiative of CooperationWorks! helping to transform America's private forestland and marginal farmland into sustainable, productive resources by promoting and assisting cooperative action among farmers and other rural landowners
- Organic Valley Family of Farms according to CEO George Siemon, “A social experiment disguised as a business”
Worker co-ops
Canada
- Canadian Worker Cooperative Federation
- Yellowknife Glass Recyclers Federation transforming unwanted bottles into useful glassware
Europe
- CECOP the European Confederation of Worker Cooperatives, Social Enterprises and Social and Participative Enterprises
- Mondragon in Spain's Basque Country, the largest employee-owned business group in the world, including manufacturing, retail, banking, education and more
New Zealand
- Piko Wholefoods a cooperative since 1979, specialising in organic and gluten-free foods
- Tui Balmes & Waxes producing formulations for healing and massage with organic beeswax
United Kingdom
- Alpha Communications
- Calverts Press - printing co-op
- Daily Bread Cooperative
- Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative
- Essential Trading Cooperative
- Footprint Workers Co-op a printing co-op in Leeds
- Employee Ownership Association
- New Harmony Press
- Radical Routes a secondary co-operative whose members are small independent workers' or housing co-ops
- St Lukes Advertising Agency
- Suma Wholefoods Cooperative long-established wholefood wholesaler, Britain's largest collectively-managed, equal pay business
- Tantric Technologies Co-op Ltd
- Total Coverage a design consultancy
- Unicorn Manchester's cooperative grocery
- Watford Printers
- Wave Design
USA
- United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives
- Isthmus Engineering and Manufacturing a world class builder of automated equipment for manufacturing industry
- Weaver Street Market a cooperative grocery store with both worker-owners and consumer-owners
- Equal Exchange the largest for-profit fair trade company in the USA
- A series of Yes! magazine articles on worker co-operatives and the new economy
Education, training & museums
Australia
- Centre for Community Organisations & Management hosts a web page Australian cooperatives
Canada
- Association of Cooperative Educators promoting cooperative research, developing linkages between universities, cooperative and supporting organisations, building capacity to support the development of innovation and acumen in cooperatives, and spreading the world by providing resources on cooperative education
- Canadian Cooperative Association's Cooperative governance site - with the latest research, best practices and lessons learned on issues related to governance and leadership in cooperatives
- St Mary's University, Sobey School of Business, Masters of Management - Cooperatives and Credit Unions
- St Mary's University, Sobey School of Business, Masters of Management Centre of Excellence in Accounting and Reporting for Co-ops
- University of Saskatchewan Cooperative Centre for the Study of Cooperatives linking interdisciplinary research and learning about cooperatives
- British Columbia Institute for Cooperative Studies
India
- Global HRD Network for Cooperatives making available knowledge, information and guidance on co-operative education and training issues to human resources development practitioners and co-op managers
Ireland
- University College Cork, Centre for Cooperative Studies fostering research, study and education about cooperatives
Japan
- National Federation of University Cooperative Associations about 210 university co-ops and 1,300,000 members throughout Japan
Netherlands
- Co-op Champions with a special focus on cooperative business
New Zealand
- Alan Robb Independent consultant and commentator on financial accounting, cooperatives, corporate governance and business ethics, Adjunct Professor – Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, see also his blog on this site at www.nz.coop/robb-on-cooperation/
- Credit Union Institute of New Zealand education, training and development for credit union directors, management and staff
- James Morrison Consulting providing independent advice and project management, with extensive experience in cooperatives
Sweden
- KOOPi the Swedish Cooperative Insitute - influencing public opinion, defending, preserving and developing the cooperative sector
United Kingdom & Ireland
- Cooperative Business Consultants a co-op that promotes participative and cooperative management methods and techniques in other co-ops, social enterprises and employee-owned businesses
- Community Business Scotland
- Cooperative College a centre of excellence for cooperative learning
- Society for Cooperative Studies seeking to advance the education of members and the public on all aspects of the cooperative movement, and cooperative forms of structure
- Network of Cooperative Business & Enterprise Colleges developing creative new curriculum programming
- Rochdale Pioneers Museum preserving the original store building, providing an educational experience that relates to the origins and development of the Society in the context of 19th century Rochdale
- University College Cork - Centre for Cooperative Studies
USA
- University of Wisconsin Center for Co-ops
- CDS Food Co-op Consultants - a network of independent consulting professionals experienced in developing food cooperatives
Cooperative housing
International
- ICA Housing promoting the development of cooperative housing
Australia
- Proceedings of the Living Cooperatively Symposium held in Sydney, February 2009
Canada
New Zealand
- McKinlay Douglas Consultants The Role of Local Government in the Provision of Affordable Housing
- Peterborough Housing Co-op in Christchurch
Turkey
- Batikent, Kent-Koop the largest mass housing project accomplished by cooperatives in the world
United Kingdom
- Confederation of Cooperative Housing
- Commission on Cooperative and Mutual Housing – undertaking independent research into the cooperative and mutual housing sector, exploring its potential benefits, shortcomings and models, drawing conclusions about any current relevance and applicability of the sector, and promoting and publicising workable and desirable approaches that fit the needs of current and future housing, community and third sector strategies.
- Cornerstone housing co-op
- Cooperative housing service agency
USA
- Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums
- Cooperative Listing Service a web site bringing together people buying and selling cooperative housing units - especially useful is their page about housing co-ops
- Limited Equity Housing Cooperatives – business corporations in which residents share ownership of a building
Cooperative publishing & publications
International
- ICA News the global cooperative news centre
Canada
- The Atlantic Cooperator monthly newspaper covering all aspects of cooperation values and principles in Atlantic Canada and around the world
New Zealand
- Dig 'n' Stir Philippa Stevenson's excellent blog on Rural Network
United Kingdom
- Cooperative News fortnightly newsmagazine of the co-op and mutual sectors
- Cooperatives Online
- New Sector magazine exploring cooperative, community and social enterprise
- Watford Printers
USA
- Cooperative Communicators organisation of professionals who communicate for cooperatives
Community & other co-ops
International
- ICA Youth connecting the new generation of global cooperators
Australia
- Community Action
- shifting space supporting the cooperative enterprise movement through financial sustainability training, low interest loans or grants, web hosting and an advisory service
- Westgate Health the country's only medical community cooperative
New Zealand
- A Woodcraft Folk group setting up in Auckland
United Kingdom
- Equity Shoes
- Queen Eleanor corporate clothing
United States of America
- Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative
- Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation and the Cooperative Community Fund
Telecommunications
International
- DotCoop Registry info on the .coop web domain for cooperatives worldwide
- DotCoop Directory find out which cooperatives have a .coop domain
- pacific.domains.coop – register your .coop domain here!
Canada
- Access Communications Cooperative Regina co-op offering phone, internet, television and more
United Kingdom
- The Phone Co-op telephone and internet service provider
USA
- Adams Illinois co-op offering phone, internet and cable television
International cooperative organisations
- The Global 300 celebrating the success of cooperative and mutual enterprise worldwide
- International Cooperative Alliance since 1895 uniting, serving and representating cooperatives worldwide
- EMS international postal express mail service offered by postal administration members of the Universal Postal Union
- International Cooperative Alliance Regional Office Asia Pacific
- International Cooperative & Mutual Insurance Federation
- International Cooperative Banking Association contributes to the sound development, growth and competitiveness of cooperative banks by defending their interests and by promoting worldwide their important contribution to the economic and social well-being of their communities.
- International Labour Organisation Cooperative branch
- World Council of Credit Unions
- CICOPA the international organisation of industrial, artisanal and service producers’ cooperatives
Financial services organisations
International
Australia
- Abacus representing the Australian mutual sector – credit unions, mutual building societies and friendly societies
- Foresters develop innovative social investment products to provide the third and fourth sectors with access to a different kind of capital, build participation in creating a better Australia as well as knowledge an awareness of the role of money in society
Europe
- European Association of Cooperative Banks one of Europe's leading banking groups representing co-op banks from 23 European states which have 60 million members, supported by 700,000 employees and a market share of 20% in the European Union
- Association of Mutual Insurers the voice of the UK mutual insurance sector
- Ayios Dometios Cooperative Bank Cyprus
- Cyprus Turkish Cooperative Central Bank click on the English link
- Rabobank International Netherlands based cooperative bank with overseas wholly-owned subsidiaries, including one in New Zealand
India
- NAFSCOB the National Federation of State Cooperative Banks
- Orissa State Cooperative Bank developing the agrarian economy
- Vikas Souharda Cooperative Bank developing the mining industry, traders and small and medium enterprises
Japan
- Zenrosai National Federation of Workers and Consumers Insurance Cooperatives
- National Association of Labour Banks, information in English
New Zealand
- Farmers Mutual Group insurance for the rural sector
- Nelson Enterprise and Loan Trust offering loans for small cooperative and community ventures
- New Zealand Association of Credit Unions
- PSIS New Zealand's primary co-op financial institution, describing themselves wonderfully: "We are not a registered bank but a very cooperative cooperative"
- SBS Bank newly minted mutual bank, formerly known as Southland Building Society
Singapore
United Kingdom
- Association of British Credit Unions
- Cooperative Bank a banking business built on ethical policies
- Smile the Cooperative Bank's internet banking subsidiary
- Cooperative Insurance Society
- The Building Societies Association
USA
- Credit Union National Association the peak body for US credit unions
- NCB cooperative banking and financial services
- Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund member-owned and governed financial intermediary which makes loans to cooperatives and provides corresponding support services
- National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives professionals actively involved with the financial management and planning of cooperative business, NSAC members are either employed by a cooperative or provide professional services for cooperatives
Political
- The Cooperative Party describes itself as the party of social justice. Former UK Prime Minister the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP is a member. He writes, "The Cooperative Party stands for fair trade, for ethical business and for people having a say in the running of their communities."
- The New Zealand Business & Parliament Trust organises business study programmes for MPs and parliamentary study programmes for business people
- Tasmanian Greens launch “Cooperative Tasmania" initiative
Internet resources
- Australian cooperative links listing almost 400 cooperative ventures, with a further 200 from around the world
- ethical.tv a global online TV website containing films and news about ethical lifestyle issues that affect people across the world which aims to encourage and inspire active participation, and help develop a useful one-stop location for films, news and campaigns
- Wikipedia on cooperatives
Found a broken link, or any spelling mistook’s? Let us know – send an email
