After decades of flying under the radar, co-operation as a principle of business and socio-economic organisation is moving from the margins of political thought into the mainstream. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the consequences of resource inequalities at local and global levels have become more apparent to political leaders and the public at large, leading to a renewal of interest in the international co-operative movement, which today includes nearly one billion co-operative members worldwide.

In the West, declining trust in the investor-led business model and the need to bolster communal responses to local economic and social problems has prompted co-operative organisations to step into the gap left by retreating state actors. In both the developed and developing world, co-operative models are increasingly viewed as central to tackling a diverse array of issues, including global food security, climate change, sustainable economic development, public-service provision and gender inequality. 

This collection, drawing together research from an interdisciplinary group of scholars and co-operative practitioners, considers the different spheres in which co-operatives are becoming more prominent. It traces the margins and mainstreams of the co-operative movement itself, providing new insights into interactions between co-operative stakeholders and their impact on co-operative thought and practice. Drawing examples from different national and international contexts, the book offers major insights into how co-operation will come to occupy a central role in social and economic life in the twenty-first century.

Mainstreaming co-operation will be of interest to students and academics in economics, business studies, history, politics and international development, but also to policy makers interested in co-operatives and mutuals as a viable alternative to conventional models of social and economic development.