If establishing cooperatives was as simple as posting the Rochdale Principles and applying them as a recipe, then building successful cooperatives would be easy. What made the Rochdale Pioneer Cooperative model notable both in its time and now, is that it sustained itself financially and culturally for more than a few years. The history of cooperatives is littered with the wreckage of cooperatives that failed as sustainable businesses or as cooperative cultures, or both.

 “The Reproduction of the Culture of Cooperation” by Tadit Anderson May 1st 2009

If establishing cooperatives was as simple as posting the Rochdale Principles and applying them as a recipe, then building successful cooperatives would be easy. What made the Rochdale Pioneer Cooperative model noteable both in its time and now, is that it sustained itself financially and culturally for more than a few years. The history of cooperatives is littered with the wreckage of cooperatives that failed as sustainable businesses or as cooperative cultures, or both.

Workplace resistance and self-management
Strategic Lessons from Latin America

July 21, 2009  By Marie Trigona 

[Contribution to the Reimagining Society Project hosted by ZCommunications]

Unions and Cooperatives share a common historical origin

  The "Rochdale" Principles As Derived from the Performance and Success of the Rochdale Pioneers Cooperative