Co-operatives for Sustainable Communities

Citation

Brown L, Carini C, Gordon Nembhard J, Ketilson LH, Hicks E, McNamara J, Novkovic S, Rixon D & Simmons R (eds.) (2015) Co-operatives for Sustainable Communities. Ottawa: Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada. http://www.cooperativedifference.coop/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CoopsforSustainableCommunities1.pdf

Abstract
This book explores five interconnected themes around co-operatives as sustainable businesses: 1. Statistics and data collection 2. Putting co-operative principles into practice 3. Community impact 4. Member and stakeholder engagement 5. Reporting practices (co-operative identity and sustainability). The key questions posed by the book are: What do co-operatives report and why? What tools exist, and what is missing? Which tools set co-operatives apart from other business forms (and do they measure the co-operative identity)? Which tools are standard in respective industries, and are co-operatives leaders or followers in those efforts? The chapters in this book offer an international snapshot of the work being undertaken in these areas. The authors advocate a critical analysis of these materials, and suggest ways forward as practitioners and researchers address their reporting and dissemination challenges.

Keywords
Co-operatives; Measurement; Sustainability;

People

Professor Richard Simmons

Professor, Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology