Bees are the world’s natural cooperators, working together – just as cooperative members do – to help build a better world for all.
There are over 20,700 different bee species worldwide, more than all of the world’s bird and mammal species combined! Similar to cooperative members around the globe, their cooperation teaches important lessons about the strength of collaboration.
In fact, the Rochdale Pioneers incorporated the beehive into the stonework of their initial store on Toad Lane in 1844. Since then, it has become a symbol of the cooperative ethos, with numerous cooperative enterprises worldwide using the beehive to represent industry and the collaboration necessary to carry out and succeed in work.
Bees demonstrate fascinating cooperative behavior. Worker bees collaborate to locate and gather nectar and pollen, and convey food sources through complex dances. Bees work together to build intricate honeycomb structures within their hives and maintain hive temperature. Additionally, they defend the hive against threats as a unified group.
What can cooperatives learn from bees?
Bees coordinate and collaborate. They understand that they can accomplish much more together than alone, from constructing a home and finding food to defending and migrating. This is the fundamental principle on which cooperatives are established: members uniting to fulfill common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations.
Bees labor for the benefit of the entire hive. They produce honey that is shared by all, providing for each member of the hive, each playing a distinct role in the hive’s structure. Cooperative members also enjoy the broader advantages of being part of a cooperative – whether they are a worker-member, tenant-member, consumer-member, or another type of member, with any surplus returning to members or being used to benefit the organization.
Bees extend their positive impact beyond their own hive. Bees benefit the world by pollinating other plants for the greater good of other species. Cooperatives do the same, benefiting the broader communities in which they operate, including through cooperation among cooperatives and concern for the community!
Sourcehttps://ica.coop/en/newsroom/news/cooperative-bee-haviour
