Not every single-stakeholder cooperative - focused on one exclusive membership category, such as farmers - was governed solely by direct representation of those members. In many local consumer cooperatives, employees were part of the governing board. Numerous agricultural and housing cooperatives also worked with experts on their boards. This did not change the fact that membership was almost always exclusive to consumers, farmers, or residents.
Ownerschip and governance
From the perspective of classical economic theory, allowing multiple stakeholders to be co-owners would be considered unwise, as it requires too much time and effort to align and maintain different interests. Governance would become unnecessarily complex, costly, and vulnerable, resulting in a weaker competitive position. However, many arguments have been raised against this one-sided economic reasoning. Shared ownership among employees, consumers, and suppliers, for example, can coexist with complex governance structures. Practical examples include structures in which different interests are reconciled through an advisory council before decisions are made by the general board, and/or a supervisory board that ensures decision-making is supported by broad consensus.
The most important shared interest of all stakeholders is that the enterprise performs well and has a sustainable future. This raises questions such as whether everyone should always benefit equally and what is considered fair and solidaristic. Finding broadly supported and sustainable solutions takes time and effort. This process fits with cooperatives that aim to create not only economic value. This becomes more challenging for cooperatives that initially included only producers as members but later expanded membership to investors to meet external capital needs.
Three Examples at a Glance
Birchall and Sacchetti discuss three contemporary examples of multi-stakeholder cooperatives. As part of the successful Spanish Mondragon cooperative network, the cooperative supermarket Eroski (founded in 1969) operated 1,600 stores and employed 30,000 people in 2017 [Quiénes somos - Eroski Corporativo]. Employees can become owners if they invest themselves (about 32% have done so), while consumers are members. The general assembly consists of 250 employees and 250 consumer representatives, who elect a board of directors made up of six employees and six consumers.
Another model is iCoop in South Korea, a retail organization with 180 stores and 17 processing facilities for agricultural products. Its 237,000 consumers are organized into 85 local consumer cooperatives, while producers are organized into 17 cooperatives. They collaborate within a central cooperative, where full integration is not the goal; instead, reciprocity and solidarity are emphasized. For example, members contribute to a fund through advance payments, providing farmers with financial security and helping them avoid additional investment risks.
A third example concerns social cooperatives, particularly in Italy, where supportive legislation introduced in 1991 has had a positive impact. A key question is whether the target group - such as people with disabilities - is capable of governing and participating as full members. In practice, a wide variety of ownership and governance models has developed. A significant number of social cooperatives have adopted multi-stakeholder structures, involving representatives of the target group, employees, volunteers, and other institutions. This model is especially suited to social cooperatives that function as social enterprises, emphasizing social objectives, participatory governance, and specific approaches to profit allocation.
Questions for Research and Dialogue
A crucial question is whether a single-stakeholder cooperative or citizen collective is more appropriate in commercial sectors characterized by high competition and market-driven pricing. Conversely, is a multi-stakeholder structure more likely in contexts where market pressure is lower (or where markets fail), and where pricing is determined through negotiations with co-financing parties such as governments and funds, as is often the case in social sectors like healthcare and social services? Another key question is whether multi-stakeholder governance is possible or desirable when only one group holds ownership. In such cases, what guarantees exist for shared engagement and collective action?
In the Netherlands, the number of citizen collectives and cooperatives with multiple membership categories is growing. They are active in various sectors, including healthcare, food, social cooperatives, and area development. A notable example is the cooperative supermarket Gedeelde Weelde in Maastricht.
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