05/04/2026
What would it take to make responsible consumption and production the norm, not the exception?
According to the UN Environment Programme, more than one billion tonnes of food are wasted every year, while resource extraction and consumption drive more than 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress. Linear economic models (take-make-dispose) remain dominant, despite their social and environmental costs.
This is where cooperatives make a difference!
Cooperatives are uniquely positioned to drive more sustainable and circular models of production and consumption because sustainability is embedded in how they are governed and how they operate. Guided by the principle of concern for community, they prioritise long-term value and the sustainable development of their communities, while reducing waste and optimising resource use.
The latest Policy Brief on Cooperative Contributions to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, developed by COPAC and the ICA, highlights how cooperatives are already advancing circular solutions by:
• Reducing waste across value chains through reuse, recycling, and redistribution.
• Promoting sustainable consumption through consumer-owned retail and ethical sourcing.
• Supporting circular production models in agriculture, industry, and services.
• Enabling repair, reuse, and sharing economies at local level.
• Improving resource efficiency and reducing environmental footprints.
• Empowering consumers and producers to make more sustainable choices.
From short supply chains and integrated eco-food networks in the Republic of Korea, to circular input systems and sustainable retail and consumer awareness models in Japan. From circular innovation in European cooperatives in Italy and Sweden, to waste-reduction initiatives in Kenya. From consumer awareness models in the United States and Argentina, to food loss reduction programmes in the Dominican Republic. The case studies in this Policy Brief show that responsible consumption and production work best when communities have ownership, voice and shared responsibility.
📘 Download the SDG 12 Policy Brief here: https://www.copac.coop/iyc-2025-series-building-a-better-world-together-cooperative-contributions-to-sdg-12/
🙏 Thanks to our colleagues at International Cooperative Alliance-Africa, Coop Americas, International Co-operative Alliance-Asia and Pacific and Cooperatives Europe for their support in jointly developing this document.
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) | United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) | International Labour Organization | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | International Trade Centre
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