Drivers of Cooperative Sustainability from Recent Empirical Evidence
Keywords:
cooperatives; business sustainability; governance; digitalisation; entrepreneurial orientation; innovationAbstract
This paper synthesises Scopus-indexed empirical evidence on the drivers of cooperative business sustainability across sectors and regions. We examined which practices are associated with efficiency, resilience and survival, innovation, and overall performance. Primary studies were screened through a transparent multi-stage process; non-cooperative contexts and non-primary sources were excluded. For each included article, we charted context, design, sample, exposures, outcomes, and principal findings, then synthesised results narratively using an exposure-to-outcome lens. Where full texts were accessible, qualitative and quantitative designs were appraised with established checklists. A consolidated body of studies spans efficiency panels, survival and spatial analyses, organisational surveys (e.g., PLS-SEM), qualitative interviews and content analyses, and mixed methods. Three consistent patterns emerged. First, participatory governance and collaboration within and across organisations are associated with greater resilience and innovation. Second, cost discipline and end-to-end process digitalisation are linked to higher technical efficiency and stronger financial buffers during shocks. Third, entrepreneurial orientation shows a positive association with economic performance and appears strengthened by collaboration. In addition, innovation activities and organisational characteristics are related to longer survival, while policy support and financial stability tend to amplify these relationships. Taken together, the evidence distils actionable levers for practice and policy: institutionalise participatory governance and collaboration, prioritise cost efficiency and digital processes, and develop entrepreneurial and innovation capabilities in supportive policy environments.
References
Awoke, H. M. (2021). Member commitment in agricultural cooperatives: Evidence from Ethiopia. Cogent Business and Management, 8(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2021.1968730
Billiet, A., Dufays, F., Friedel, S., & Staessens, M. (2021). The resilience of the cooperative model: How do cooperatives deal with the COVID-19 crisis? Strategic Change, 30(2), 99–108. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2393
Callagher, L., & Garnevska, E. (2023). Multistakeholder impression management tactics and sustainable development intentions in agri-food co-operatives. Journal of Management and Organization. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2023.35
Candeloro, G., & Tartari, M. (2025). Heritage-led sustainable development in rural areas: The case of Vivi Calascio community-based cooperative. Cities, 161(101004627), 105920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.105920
De Fransu, F., Fidiana, F., & Kurnia, K. (2023). Indonesian Cooperatives’ Growth and Improvement Strategies in Time of Pandemic Crisis. Economic and Regional Studies / Studia Ekonomiczne i Regionalne, 16(4), 598–618. https://doi.org/10.2478/ers-2023-0037
Degregori, G., Brescia, V., Calandra, D., & Secinaro, S. (2025). Evaluating sustainability reporting in SMEs: insights from an ethical cooperative bank’s approach. Journal of Global Responsibility. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-10-2024-0197
Diakité, D., Tamini, L. D., Cornée, S., Caillault, S., & Rousselière, D. (2025). Factors affecting investments in environmental assets by agricultural machinery cooperatives (CUMAs): Evidence from France. Agricultural Economics (United Kingdom), 56(2), 228–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12873
Eraso Cisneros, B., Pérez-Rico, C., & Gallizo Larranz, J. L. (2025). Banking and Cooperatives in Ecuador: Comparative Evidence of Technical Efficiency and Financial Resilience. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 18(9), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm18090501
Fowler A. Monteiro, G., Morales de Queiroz Caleman, S., & Silva Mendes, J. (2025). From resilience to sustainability: exploring key stakeholders in agribusiness. RAUSP Management Journal, 60(1), 35–51. https://doi.org/10.1108/RAUSP-10-2023-0218
Glavee-Geo, R., Engelseth, P., & Buvik, A. (2022). Power Imbalance and the Dark Side of the Captive Agri-food Supplier–Buyer Relationship. Journal of Business Ethics, 178(3), 609–628. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04791-7
Grashuis, J., & Cook, M. L. (2021). Members of Cooperatives: More Heterogeneous, Less Satisfied? International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 24(5), 813–825. https://doi.org/10.22434/IFAMR2020.0086
Han, Z., & Liang, Q. (2025). Digital Economy and Inclusive Development of New Agricultural Operating Entities. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 69(3), 687–700. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8489.70025
Herchenbach, J. S., Briggeman, B. C., Bergtold, J. S., Shanoyan, A., Low, S. A., & Miller, B. (2024). A Skills Gap Analysis of Farmer Directors of US Farmer Cooperatives. Agribusiness. https://doi.org/10.1002/agr.21997
Kantabutra, S., & Ketprapakorn, N. (2021). Toward an organizational theory of resilience: An interim struggle. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(23), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313137
Kumkit, T., Anh, D. L. T., Gan, C., & Hu, B. (2024). Members’ perspectives of good governance practice of Thailand’s credit union cooperatives. Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies, 31(1), 55–73. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABES-06-2022-0154
Mangan, A., & Ward, A. M. (2024). Cooperative resilience: Toward a heuristic model of collective action in a crisis. Financial Accountability and Management, 40(3), 308–325. https://doi.org/10.1111/faam.12382
Mann, S., & Stoinescu, A. (2021). Exploring Draheim’s three dimensions of success in cooperative organizations—the case of collective Alpine summer farms. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 92(4), 587–602. https://doi.org/10.1111/apce.12309
Meliá-Martí, E., Mozas-Moral, A., Bernal-Jurado, E., & Fernández-Uclés, D. (2024). Global efficiency and profitability: Cooperatives as social innovation agents vs. Joint stock companies in the agri-food sector. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100537
Moluh Njoya, H., Cristóbal Reyes, S., Hien, K. A., Ollendorf, F., Tokou, B. A., Adou Yao, C. Y., Sieber, S., & Löhr, K. (2025). Can cooperative membership foster compliance with New European Union regulations on deforestation-free production? Evidence from cocoa farmers in Western Côte d’Ivoire. Trees, Forests and People, 20(May). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100897
Montrone, A., Searing, E. A. M., & Poledrini, S. (2024). How did the Pandemic Crisis Affect the Financial, Economic, and Social Performance of Social Enterprises? Insights from Italian Social Cooperatives. Nonprofit Policy Forum. https://doi.org/10.1515/npf-2023-0106
Moreno-Domínguez, M. J., Escobar-Rodríguez, T., & Pelayo-Díaz, Y. M. (2025). Innovación y eficiencia en cooperativas agroalimentarias: la influencia de las tecnologías de la información y del liderazgo orientado al conocimiento. CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 113, 5–35. https://doi.org/10.7203/ciriec-e.113.29402
Mwalupaso, G. E., Wang, S., Geng, X., & Kipkogei, S. (2025). Bridging credit gaps for sustainable agriculture: The role of rural savings and credit cooperatives among smallholder farmers. Agricultural Economics (Czech Republic), 71(5), 254–272. https://doi.org/10.17221/436/2024-AGRICECON
Nguyen, L. L. H., Halibas, A., & Nguyen, T. Q. (2024). Cooperative performance and lead firm support in cleaner production adoption: SEM-fsQCA analysis of precision agriculture acceptance in Vietnam. Journal of Cleaner Production, 475(July 2023), 143724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.143724
Pesci, C., Candio, P., Fornaciari, L., & Marchini, P. L. (2024). A matter of identity? Youth participation in cooperatives’ governance for a sustainable future. Business Strategy and the Environment, May 2024, 187–202. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3986
Riegler, M. (2025). Bureaucracy cost perspective of ESG implementation in German credit cooperatives. Journal of Business Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-025-01238-7
Santos, F. J., Guzmán, C., & Ahumada, P. (2024). Assessing the digital transformation in agri-food cooperatives and its determinants. Journal of Rural Studies, 105(November 2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103168
Searing, E. A. M., Montrone, A., & Poledrini, S. (2025). Hybrid Until the End? Predicting Financial Vulnerability in Hybrid Purpose Organizations. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 36(1), 147–155. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21661
Sebhatu, K. T., Gezahegn, T. W., Berhanu, T., Maertens, M., Van Passel, S., & D’Haese, M. (2021). Exploring variability across cooperatives: Economic performance of agricultural cooperatives in northern Ethiopia. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 24(3), 397–419. https://doi.org/10.22434/IFAMR2019.0215
Segovia-Vargas, M. J., Miranda-García, I. M., & Oquendo-Torres, F. A. (2023). Sustainable finance: The role of savings and credit cooperatives in Ecuador. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 94(3), 951–980. https://doi.org/10.1111/apce.12428
Skevas, T., & Grashuis, J. (2023). Evaluating dynamic productivity change of US farm supply cooperatives. Agribusiness, 39(4), 1238–1253. https://doi.org/10.1002/agr.21812
Tortia, E., & Troisi, R. (2021). The Resilience and Adaptative Strategies of Italian Cooperatives during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 15(4). https://doi.org/10.17323/2500-2597.2021.4.78.88
Van Opstal, W., Bocken, N., & Brusselaers, J. (2025). Cooperating for circularity? Perspectives of citizen energy cooperative members on circular solar business models. Journal of Cleaner Production, 487(December 2023), 144653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.144653
Vieira, L. K., & Bressan, V. G. F. (2024). Diversification and Performance in Credit Unions: A Non-Linear Approach. Brazilian Business Review, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.15728/bbr.2021.1165.en
Vik, P. M., Curtis, J., & Dayson, K. T. (2023). Resilience of cooperatives during global pandemics – Short-term effects of Covid-19 on lending behaviour of British credit unions. Journal of Co-Operative Organization and Management, 11(2), 100220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcom.2023.100220
Zwane, B. K., Nyide, C. J., Sikwela, M., Mantzaris, E., & Fuyane, N. (2024). Financial Bootstrapping As a Sustainable Livelihood Alternative for Agricultural Co-Operatives in an Emerging Economy. Corporate Governance and Sustainability Review, 8(2), 37–47. https://doi.org/10.22495/cgsrv8i2p3
