In times of globalisation, locally rooted co-operatives become more important. With transparent structures, member-support, and the mandate of member-promotion, they can build on the trust of their members through self-elected leadership and in the system. Being part of an integrated co-operative system, co-operatives can combine advantages of closeness to members with benefits of large scale enterprises. The present book combines the experience of three specialists from the fields of economic and agrarian policy, law of organisations, and business administration, all having thorough knowledge of co-operative theory and practice. It shows how "Our Co-op" is functioning and what co-operators should know about their organization. (Series: ?Economy: Research and Science / Wirtschaft: Forschung und Wissenschaft, Vol. 38) [Subject: Economics]