The cooperative sector employs more than a 100 million strong workforce
Leading cooperative sector experts have come together to form the World Cooperative Economic Forum (WCopEF) to give voice to over 3 million cooperatives spread across the globe, employing 10 per cent of the total workforce worldwide.
The WCopEF will endeavour to promote cooperative thinking and cooperative movement, in addition to raising issues and concerns of the sector with the governments and other stakeholders around the globe.
The 300 largest cooperatives in the world, it may be mentioned, generate over $ 2.1 trillion in revenue, providing many essential goods and services. In many countries, cooperatives make significant contributions to the national economy by addressing market failures, empowering marginalised people, creating employment opportunities, and supporting sustainable development.
“WCopEF journey is starting at the juncture of ideation of an equitable economy, tempered by pragmatism. We are transitioning to a new engagement with the international cooperative economic order. Several challenges have emerged, invoking the need for an independent forum that would critically examine the problems facing the sector and help develop coherent policy responses,” said Dileep Bhai Shanghai, one of the founder members of the Forum.
Shanghai, Chairman of the fertiliser major IFFCO and President of the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), had also earlier served as a member of parliament and a Minister in the Government of Gujarat.
Binod Anand, other founder members of the WCEF are members MSP Committee on Agriculture Reforms, Dr. Rakesh Arrawatia, Professor Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and Ashish Anand, Founder Whrrl (www.WHR.loans).
“WCopEF will bring together, for the first time, co-operators, social scientists, cooperative economists and policymakers and myriad other stakeholders to brainstorm about the Social and Solidarity economy,” said Binod Anand.
