Belgium introduced the new Code of Companies and Associations in 2019. The law explicitly distinguishes between coöperatives and classical firms. During my education, the classical firm was the structure by default; the cooperative structure was somewhat unknown to me.
Coöperations have to operate according to the ICA principles. ICA stands for International Cooperative Alliance. It is an international organization that unites the cooperative movement worldwide and keeps cooperatives' power alive.
The seven ICA principles are: 1. Voluntary and open membership 2. Democratic members control 3. Member economic participation 4. Autonomy and Independence 5. Education, training and information 6. Cooperation among cooperatives 7. Concern for community
I am increasingly convinced that the cooperative structure offers a proper format for Threefold Farming. Anyone can contribute to the rollout of the Threefold Grid by becoming a member of the Threefold Cooperative or Co-Inpetto Farm (principle 1). The organizational structure safeguards access and community ownership of the Threefold Grid, a foundational layer for a sovereign data infrastructure (principles 4 and 7).
Members get a return on their investment (principles 3). However, more than the cooperative structure is required to harvest the multiple profits a decentralized data infrastructure can bring. With the rollout of a decentralized internet comes a digital twin for every individual and 'the smart contract for IT' for every community. ICA principles 2 and 3 will get new meaning.
Organizations of all kinds can connect their processes to individuals' digital twins and use their data to broaden their ability to create value for citizens. As a society, we are learning about the power of data and the appropriate governance structures (principles 5 and 6).
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