Community Cooperatives The Power of Unity

@lukepallas A community cooperative is a model of social innovation in which the citizens of a community organize themselves to be both producers and consumers of goods and services. This model creates synergy and cohesion within a community, integrating the activities of individual citizens, businesses, associations, and institutions, thus responding to multiple needs for mutual support. Community cooperatives aim to regenerate a community and the territory it covers, through the production of goods and services that meet the needs of the community itself. This can include the management of common goods, the promotion of local tourism, the reactivation of lands, and the provision of essential services. Each community cooperative is unique in its kind, in terms of size, objectives, and activities, because the peculiarities of the community, the needs, and the ways of responding are different and unique. There is no specific type of “community cooperative,“ and as such, it is not yet fully regulated at the national level, although some Regions have already regulated community cooperation. Community cooperatives can be seen as a form of second welfare, as their mission is aimed at pursuing the collective interest of their communities, extending the benefits of welfare to a larger number of people. Moreover, these cooperatives play an important role in regenerating local economies, contributing to counteract phenomena of depopulation, economic decline, social and urban decay, and environmental issues. In summary, community cooperatives represent a model of social enterprise that focuses on the community and the territory, promoting active participation of citizens and responding in a flexible and innovative way to local needs.