Brazilian cooperatives survived, and well, during the past year, a period marked by the pandemic and social isolation.
The labor market grew, reaching 493,300 employees, with annual growth of 8.4%. In the accumulated of two years, the cooperatives incorporated 15.4% more workers.
Tickets, a term used by the system to determine revenue, rose to R$525 billion, 26% more than in 2020. In two years, the growth was 70%.
A good part of these resources returned to the cooperative members. Last year, the distribution of leftovers for the year totaled BRL 36.7 billion, 60% more than in 2020 and 148% in the two-year period. Part of this money goes to the producer and part is invested.
“This growth, even in times of crisis, is due to the historical resilience of the cooperatives and the work in an assertive way of the cooperative system to face the problems.”
The statement is from Tânia Zanella, superintendent of the OCB System (Organization of Cooperatives in Brazil). It highlights the irrigation power of these resources for the economy. Agricultural cooperatives, for example, are formed by 71.2% of small producers, the so-called family agriculture.
Only a third of the producers have technical assistance in the country, and 80% of them are assisted by the cooperative system, he says.
Operating in seven sectors —agriculture, credit, consumption, infrastructure, health, transport and work, production of goods and services—, the country’s 4,880 cooperatives add up to 18.8 million members, 9% more than in 2020.
Some activities within cooperativism, such as services and transport, had problems initially, but others, such as agriculture, credit and health, kept pace, according to Zanella.
The superintendent attributes this evolution to the aspect of trust, proximity of producers to the cooperative and transparency. At least 53% of agricultural production passes through cooperatives.
Trust also comes from the longevity of institutions. While most cooperatives have been operating for decades, in some cases already centuries old, the sector increasingly attracts new participants.
In 2021, 13% of cooperatives had a maximum of five years of activity. Those over 20 years old account for 52%.
One of the novelties is the large participation of women. Last year, 49% of the cooperative workforce were women, up from 39% in 2020.
The female presence increases in the number of associates, employment and leadership positions, which range from board participation to presidency. Last year, 20% of those positions were held by women, says Zanella.
These numbers are included in the 2022 Brazilian Yearbook of Cooperativism, which will be released this Friday (29) by the OCB System.
The agricultural sector brings together the largest number of cooperatives in the country. There are 1,170, which have 1 million members and employ 240,000 workers, the highest number among other activities linked to cooperativism.
The largest contingent of cooperative members, however, is in the credit sector, which includes 13.9 million participants. The sector also has the biggest asset, with R$ 519 billion, followed by agriculture, which reaches R$ 230 billion.
Looking ahead, the superintendent sees several sectors with great potential for cooperativism. Agriculture, however, will be a precursor. It pulls transport, services, infrastructure and credit.
For Zanella, cooperativism has to be opportunities for what is to come and it adapts to the economy, health and even October, in reference to the elections.
The pandemic and the changes that have taken place in trade relations in the last two years have brought both opportunities and challenges.
In the agricultural sector, the challenge was to keep the sector running in the midst of the pandemic and guarantee domestic and foreign supplies.
The next step is to seek diversification of the activity, add more value and ensure a greater insertion of the sector in the foreign market.
Production must be traceable and sustainable, and this must take place in a period of higher costs and inflation.
In the credit sector, cooperatives are an important tool for the development and financial inclusion in the country. High inflation, economic downturn and erosion of citizens’ ability to pay are new challenges for cooperatives, according to the OCB yearbook.
Consumer cooperatives suffered in the pandemic, especially in tourism, but the changes bring opportunities for the collective purchasing sector, both in the area of individuals and legal entities.
In the healthcare sector, the pandemic has tested the system to the fullest, which has undergone mergers and acquisitions. Partnerships between the private and public sectors should be intensified and bring more opportunities.
In the work sector, the pandemic changed the employment relationship, and cooperatives open doors for the insertion of professionals in this market.
In infrastructure, cooperativism will help in connectivity, energy self-management and the generation of renewable energy.
Changes in transport are also opportunities for cooperativism, both in the passenger and cargo areas. There is an acceleration of digitization, according to information in the yearbook.
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