Since 2007, the “Co-operation and Co-operative Organizations” course has been offered to master’s students in Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, and Integrated Natural Resource Management at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (HU). Since 2020, around 250 students have successfully completed the course, underscoring the ongoing relevance of cooperative topics.

To mark the United Nations “International Year of Cooperatives,” students from this course, together with peers from the master’s program Urban Geographies (HU) and students from Technische Universität zu Berlin, explored practical solutions that cooperatives offer for transforming economic systems. Throughout the semester, students conducted research on specific issues and case studies, culminating in poster presentations that received feedback from lecturers and peers. Of the 45 posters presented in the Co-operation and Co-operative Organizations course, 10 were selected to compete alongside candidates from the other programs.

A first group of posters focuses on cooperatives’ role in resilience and systemic change within value chains. It includes case studies and analyses such as the growth and evolution of New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, the critical role of Indian cooperatives in food value chain resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenge cooperatives pose to traditional business practices and institutional logics. Another poster models resilience against fluctuating agricultural yields using virtual agents in cooperative models.

A second group addresses sustainability and climate-related adaptation through cooperative models. This includes lessons from Resident Owned Communities in the USA on cooperative housing for climate resilience, and the exploration of sharing energy across the EU as a possible cooperative initiative. The case of Subak Bali expands on a traditional form of cooperation can harmonize people, nature, and spirituality.

Lastly, concerning cooperative governance, a case study highlighted how large a cooperative can become while maintaining democratic governance. Additionally, the mutual benefits of agricultural photovoltaic (Agri-PV) projects integrated with cooperative models further explore innovative solutions.

As organisers of the initiative, the Genossenschaftsforum e.V. is coordinating the final poster competition and presentation, scheduled for 22 October 2025 at the Senaatsaal of Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. You can register here: <https://tf2b10609.emailsys1a.net/189/7939/a70ade8d9c/subscribe/form.html?_g=1756974778>