That’s why elected leaders from 193 national governments at the UN declared 2025 the Year of Cooperatives—its second such declaration. Member states have long saw co-ops as partners in progress to end poverty, fight inequality and protect the planet.
In the U.S. Northeast, NFCA was a champion of the first Year of Cooperatives in 2012, and continues to advance a thriving cooperative economy rooted in regional food systems, sustainability and shared prosperity.
While co-ops are locally-led, Crowell puts their impact in a global context. With an estimated 1 billion cooperators worldwide, the co-op business model is uniquely equipped to build a better world from the ground up.
“With so many urgent challenges before us, cooperative enterprise offers a powerful, democratic path toward a fair and sustainable future,” Crowell writes.
“With so many urgent challenges before us, cooperative enterprise offers a powerful, democratic path toward a fair and sustainable future.” – Erbin Crowell