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Concept
Cooperative federation
Summary
A co-operative federation or secondary co-operative is a co-operative in which all members are, in turn, co-operatives.
Historically, co-operative federations have predominantly come in the form of co-operative wholesale societies and co-operative unions. Co-operative federations are a means through which co-operatives can fulfill the sixth Co-operative Principle, co-operation among co-operatives. The International Co-operative Alliance notes that “Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.”
According to co-operative economist Charles Gide, the aim of a co-operative wholesale society, which is owned by retail consumer co-operatives, is to arrange "bulk purchases, and, if possible, organise production". The best historical examples of this were the English and Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Societies, which were the forerunners to the modern Co-operative Group.
A second common form of co-operative federation is a co-operative union, whose objective (according to Gide) is “to develop the spirit of solidarity among societies and... in a word, to exercise the functions of a government whose authority, it is needless to say, is purely moral.” Co-operatives UK and the International Co-operative Alliance are examples of such arrangements.
Cooperative bankingCredit unionHistory of credit unions and European Association of Co-operative Banks
Austria's Raiffeisen Zentralbank is a cooperative bank with many branches in eastern Europe.
Germany's Volksbanken or Raiffeisenbank are cooperative banks.
France's Crédit Agricole is a multi-tiered network of primary and secondary co-operatives and hybrid co-operatives.
In the UK, The Co-operative Bank is a joint-stock retail and commercial bank, whose stock is wholly owned by The Co-operative Group, a hybrid primary and secondary co-operative.
In the US, credit unions co-operatively own payment networks and financial advisers.
Official source
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