2025 is the International Year of Cooperatives, a global celebration of businesses that put people and planet before profit, but what is a cooperative?

At Not For Sale, we believe that enterprise can be a force for good. And cooperatives – known as co-ops – are a powerful example of how business can serve communities, not exploit them.

In a world facing growing inequality, modern slavery, and environmental crisis, co-ops offer a hopeful model: democratically-owned businesses that prioritize shared benefit over short-term gain.

What is a cooperative (co-op) business?

A cooperative, or co-op, is a business owned and operated by the people who use its services or work there. That means workers, customers, or local communities have a say in how the business runs – and share in its success.

Co-ops operate on values like:

• Democratic ownership
• Equity and fairness
• Sustainable development
• Community empowerment

Instead of maximizing profits for distant shareholders, co-ops reinvest in their members and the communities they serve. This makes them more resilient, equitable, and ethical – especially in industries where exploitation is often the norm.

Co-ops are more than businesses. They’re blueprints for a better world.

Why cooperatives matter in the fight against exploitation

At Not For Sale, we work to end modern slavery by supporting enterprises that empower vulnerable communities. Many of the ventures we support share core values with the co-op model – even if they’re not formally structured as cooperatives.

Here’s why co-ops are part of the solution. They:

1. Reduce vulnerability to exploitation

When people have control over their livelihoods, they are far less likely to fall into systems of forced labor or unsafe migration. Co-ops create stable, dignified work that puts decision-making power back into the hands of workers and communities.

2. Prioritize people and planet

Unlike extractive business models that treat people and nature as expendable, co-ops often center sustainability and social justice. That aligns with our mission to seed and support enterprises working for the good of people and planet.

3. Build local resilience

Co-ops keep wealth circulating locally, which strengthens communities from the inside out. This reduces the economic desperation that traffickers prey upon and builds pathways out of poverty.

Examples of cooperatives creating change

Across industries and continents, co-ops are stepping up. In agriculture, artisan goods, energy, and finance, they are challenging exploitative systems and proving that ethical enterprise can thrive.

Across South America, farming co-ops give indigenous growers more control over supply chains, reducing dependency on predatory intermediaries.

In the US, worker-owned co-ops in the service sector are building equity for immigrant and low-income workers.

Globally, co-ops are using shared ownership models to ensure fair pay, safe conditions, and environmental stewardship.

These are businesses designed not just to survive – but to uplift.

How Not For Sale supports cooperative values

While Not For Sale partners with a range of enterprises, not all formally co-ops, we actively support businesses that align with cooperative principles.

Take our partners at REBBL or M2i Global: both prioritize ethical sourcing, fair labor practices, and reinvestment in local communities. Like cooperatives, they prove that business doesn’t have to exploit to succeed.

In other instances, we have directly helped start cooperatives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Peruvian Amazon. Assisting these co-ops with required seed capital, training, networking, equipment, and more.

As we mark the International Year of Cooperatives, we celebrate these shared values, and commit to deepening our support for business models that build dignity, agency, and shared prosperity.

Frequently asked questions on cooperative businesses

✅ What is a cooperative business?

A cooperative (co-op) is a business owned and operated by its members – typically the workers, consumers, or community it serves. Profits and decision-making are shared democratically.

✅ Why are cooperatives important?

Cooperatives empower communities, promote fair wages, reduce exploitation, and focus on sustainability. They offer an ethical alternative to traditional profit-driven businesses.

✅ How do cooperatives relate to human rights?

By prioritizing local control, safe work, and fair pay, co-ops reduce vulnerability to forced labor, unsafe migration, and economic exploitation – key drivers of modern slavery.

The theme of the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives is “Cooperatives Build a Better World.” At Not For Sale, we couldn’t agree more.

If you believe in businesses that put people before profit, help us build that world – one enterprise at a time.