On 3 February 2026, the cooperative movement of France marked the closing of the International Year of Cooperatives at an event hosted at the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), the third constitutional assembly of the French Republic which represents civil society organisations and involves citizens in democratic life. It was the very last of over 200 events organised globally to celebrate IYC2025. The event, titled Valeurs et puissances coopératives ! (Cooperatives’ values and strengths) brought together nearly 300 participants from all sectors of the diverse French cooperative movement, who heard how the sector plays a vital economic and social role in France. The country is home to 22,000 cooperative enterprises, with €344bn in turnover, 1.1 million employees representing 5.2% of private-sector salaried employment in France, and 32.5 million members.
Data shared in the 2025 Panorama of Cooperative Enterprises report, launched at the event, shows French cooperatives account for 50% of agri-food turnover, 55% of milk collection, 70% of cereal collection, half of all wine, 30% of retail trade, and more than 60% of bank deposits and loans. Importantly, 80% of the headquarters of the top 100 cooperatives are located outside the Paris region – a decentralisation that allows value to be redistributed locally.
“We are at the heart of the daily lives of the French people, of the economy and society, even if we are not sufficiently present within French politics,” said Jérôme Saddier, President of Coop FR, ICA member representative organisation of the French cooperative movement, founded in 1968.
“The centrality of the cooperative movement has profoundly shaped major economic sectors … But cooperating for the future of humanity is a moral imperative.”
In a powerful speech to delegates, he said that cooperative innovations are flourishing, allowing us to “explore new fields of activity or organise collective entrepreneurship” in challenging economic and social spaces – but, he warned, “we are living in times which … compel us to rebuild our economic models.”
Saddier added that as we become more aware of the crisis facing humanity, cooperatives should “assume responsibility for a moral reconstruction that is essential for a humanity in search of meaning”.
“To cooperate is not to submit, but to act,” he said. “I hope we will collectively become aware of our cooperative responsibility – not to engage in an overly passive resistance to a dominant mindset that too often overlooks us, but to take part in an optimistic and ambitious economic, social, and moral reconstruction.”
Saddier’s full speech in French and English is available to download below.
Delegates also heard from Carole Delga, President of the Regional Council of Occitania in Southern France, who illustrated the resilience and dynamism of cooperatives in different regions of the country.
Serge Papin, Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Trade, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power, also spoke, highlighting that “cooperative enterprises are true economic flagships that demonstrate that the cooperative model is in good health – but needs all of its qualities to be promoted and recognised.”
ICA Director General, Jeroen Douglas, gave a global perspective, noting that the United Nations recognises cooperatives as “essential actors in social and economic development,” and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
He added that the announcement by the UN of an International Year of Cooperatives every 10 years was “an immense global recognition of the lasting contributions of cooperatives to a fairer and more equitable world”.
Other presentations included a live radio show presented by a group of 10-year-olds, who interviewed cooperators about the cooperative difference, and a roundtable of cooperative leaders from 10 organisations.
A common thread throughout the whole year, the French movement created a “cooperative flame” made of many fabrics that has been travelling all over the country during the IYC. Extinguishing the flame was not an option: it will remain alive all the way through to the 2035 International Year of Cooperatives.
More information and photos from the event can be found on the CoopFR website
