It’s celebrated on July 5th the International Day of Cooperatives. Across the globe, cooperatives are recognised and honoured for their unique contribution to sustainable development, social cohesion, and the building of a fairer world. In this International Year of Cooperatives (IYC/2025), proclaimed by the United Nations, it is essential to reaffirm the value of this celebration and actively embrace its message. Under the theme “Cooperatives Build a Better World”, IYC/2025 highlights the global impact of the cooperative movement, which is estimated to represent at least 12% of the world’s population and encompass around 3 million cooperatives working together to promote fairer, more participatory and resilient economic models. IYC/2025 also seeks to underscore the relevance of this sector as a concrete response to today’s challenges, particularly in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as emphasised by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
In Portugal, there are more than 2,000 cooperatives generating a gross value added of €1 billion, if we include companies fully owned by cooperative capital. In 2023 and 2024, the Portuguese cooperative movement grew in number, particularly through the expansion of Cultural, Housing/Construction, and Service cooperatives, although the majority remains concentrated in the Agricultural sector. The study “The Top 100 Cooperatives”, with data from 2023 and currently being finalised, provides an impressive overview of the sector. In 2023, the Top 100 cooperatives in Portugal registered a combined turnover exceeding €3.55 billion — an 8% increase compared to the Top 100 in 2022. Additionally, the total net assets of the Top 20 Credit cooperative amounted to over €24 billion. The final report will be published on 15 July.
As part of the IYC/2025 programme, several initiatives are underway. Notable highlights for the remainder of the year include: the announcement of the winners of the “GERAÇÃOCOOP: Build Today, Transform Tomorrow” Ideas Competition, aimed at promoting educational tools to raise awareness of the cooperative movement among children and young people; namely, tied in first place, Cátia R. Santos and Maria Gabriela Ferreira; the announcement of the winner of the “IYC2025 Poster Award”, namely Rui Marques (poster available here); a commemorative ceremony at the Portuguese Parliament (Assembleia da República); the launch of “Annotated Cooperative Jurisprudence – National Court Decisions 2012–2024”; the podcast “I Am a Cooperator, We Are Cooperatives”, produced by CONFECOOP and made available on digital platforms (website/social media); and the National Congress, organised by CONFAGRI, focused on “Promoting the Cooperative Response to the New Challenges Facing the Agricultural, Agri-food and Forestry Sectors and the Portuguese Rural World”.
The cooperative model remains a powerful means of creating wealth and ensuring its fair distribution. Ultimately, it is also a form of resistance to any threat—regardless of its ideological origin—to peace, freedom, and democracy. Let us remain true to the ideals and founding principles of the cooperative movement.
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Long live the International Year of Cooperatives.
Long live the cooperative movement.
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