The Spirit of Generosity: Co-ops Need to Plant and Nourish the Seeds of Future Cooperation

Abstract

"The collective progress in collaboration that the food co-op sector has achieved over the past decade has been significant and inspiring. 'Cooperation among cooperatives,' through the Cooperative Grocers Associations and other vehicles, is building a strong, powerful momentum. An underlying core value that has supported this collaboration, but has rarely been articulated or recognized, is a strong spirit of generosity. We will look at how generosity has been expressed in cooperatives, examine its key ingredients, and view the potential role of generosity as a change agent for the further development of cooperatives."