Building a co-op economy in Maine – and perhaps in your state too
Non-Profit Quarterly reports on the hope, self-reliance, and interdependence that co-ops create could offer solutions to some of Maine’s economic challenges, according to College of the Atlantic Cody van Heerden Chair in Economics and Quantitative Social Sciences Dr. Davis Taylor and the Director of the Cooperative Business Institute’s Business Ownership Solutions Program Rob Brown.
By Davis Taylor and Rob Brown | Non-Profit Quarterly
Consider an economy facing significant economic challenges. The economy is relatively small, geographically isolated, and faces challenging weather that inhibits the growing season, year-round tourism, and in-migration. The population is small, relatively dispersed, and homogenous. In many respects, this economy is in deep trouble, even as a few southern and coastal population centers are faring relatively well.
The above rings true for Maine, and the state has a wide spectrum of possible paths that its economy could follow.
Where co-op ecosystems have developed, there have been impressive results: stronger economies and communities, higher wages, more innovation and entrepreneurship, and less inequality. And the more developed the ecosystem, the more impressive the results.
Without question, co-op and employee ownership deliver material benefits to and improve the economic health of workers, families, and communities. However, co-ops are uniquely capable of providing greater benefits to us as human beings. Hope, control over one’s future, influence in one’s community, self-reliance and interdependence – these things are in short supply these days in Maine (and around the nation). Building a cooperative economy could make a big difference.