COVID-19: The Co-operative Response. The Co-operative Recovery

By ACCA Staff

In a global pandemic rife with uncertainty, the steadfast reliability and stability of Alberta’s co-operative sector are clearer than ever. Just as we witnessed in the financial crisis after 2008, co-operatives will not only weather this storm, they will emerge stronger and can provide a blueprint for a more resilient post-pandemic economy.

To learn more about the impact of COVID-19, we highly recommend Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada, our sister national association, two recorded webcasts:   Co-operative in the Age of Uncertainty and COVID and the implications for Co-operatives

Co-operatives are providing essential services and keeping the economy moving

As the province self-isolates, co-operatives have answered the call to ensure as many people can stay safe at home as possible. The co-operative retail system (CRS) has provided Albertans with access to food, petroleum products, pharmacy, and other essentials. Utility co-operatives remain the backbone of the rural economy and ensuring thousands of Albertans are safe at home, to work and to live.

Co-operatives have responded to unforeseen and unprecedented challenges

From raising wages for frontline workers, to providing food hampers for those in need, co-operatives quickly pivoted as the situation changed. The Family Multipurpose Co-operative offered emergency loans to its members, and YYC Growers and Distributors offered home-delivery and a suite of new offerings to connect local businesses with more customers.  Housing co-operatives across the province are rallying to support their more vulnerable members to stay safe and meet their needs.

Co-ops and the post-pandemic economy

The pandemic has revealed unmet needs and untapped resources where co-operatives can excel in economic recovery:

  1. Local distribution and supply chains. Producer and retail co-operatives have excelled in this space. Could more local businesses be incorporated of amalgamated into these distribution networks?

  2. Rural infrastructure. The need for improved rural broadband has never been more apparent. Just as utility co-operatives deliver electricity, natural gas, and water to rural Alberta in a safe, cost-effective, and reliable way, could the case now be made for rural broadband co-operatives?

  3. Capital investments to revive the economy. Co-operatives, with strong member equity, could invest in expansion and growth, including housing and commercial development. Opportunity Development Co-operatives could raise and deploy private capital to provide equity to small businesses to come back stronger.

The COVID-19 crisis has caused disruptions Canadians haven’t seen since WW 2, and this crisis is revealing social and economic fault lines that have been long in the making. Our governments have done an admirable job with emergency supports for the immediate gaps; however, these supports are only temporary.

We believe co-operatives can play a role in filling some of those gaps in the long term and we look forward to working with our co-op members, governments and Albertans in general in bridging the fault lines with solid, stable co-operative frameworks. 

Intrigued by the co-op potential? Here are more articles discussing how co-ops can fill the void:

ACCA, COVIDGuest User