
Cooperatives are enterprises that put people at the center of their business.
Cooperatives are business enterprises and thus can be defined in terms of three basic interests:
Only in the cooperative enterprise are all three interests vested directly in the hands of the user.
Cooperatives put people at the heart of their business. They follow a broader set of values. Because cooperatives are owned and democratically-controlled by their members, the decisions taken by cooperatives balance the need for profitability with the needs of their members and the wider interests of the community.