The ILO presents at a conference on Cooperatives in Türkiye

The conference brought together academics, experts, and stakeholders to reflect on and discuss the development of cooperatives in Turkey. The goal of the conference was to think together and produce solutions to enhance the capacities of cooperatives in Turkey, which play a significant role in creating alternative employment opportunities, empowering disadvantaged groups, and addressing market failures.

During the two days of deliberations, the participants examined the relationships of Turkish cooperatives with the state, local governments, trade unions, international organizations, and NGOs from past to present. They focused on new generation cooperatives, platform cooperatives, and women’s cooperatives, highlighting their current status and contributions to sustainable development. Given the UN second International Year of Cooperatives in 2025, the organizers underlined the importance of discussing the critical role of cooperatives in supporting social, economic and environmental development goals in Turkey.

In her remarks, the ILO’s Simel Esim, mentioned the role of cooperatives in contributing to local growth, community resilience, and addressing challenges like care deficits, renewable energy, and decent work in the platform economy. She underlined how cooperatives help achieve many SDGs, including poverty alleviation, gender equality, and climate change mitigation. She pointed out to the value of collaboration among all stakeholders for the development of cooperatives and the wider social and solidarity economy (SSE).

She pointed out to innovative examples, including cooperative to cooperative trade initiatives that serve toward fairer and more efficient supply chains. She suggested that platform cooperatives can offer better working conditions and fairer value distribution in the gig economy. In concluding her remarks, she suggested that strengthening the cooperative movement is essential for inclusive, sustainable development in Türkiye’s second century.

On its second day, the conference focused on presentations on alternative food networks and discussions on sustainable food systems. The event was followed by workshops on organizational sustainability, logistics, financial sustainability, and clean food production. The day highlighted the crucial role of cooperatives in fostering sustainable and equitable food systems, encouraging collaboration and innovation.