The report titled “Sustainability of Cooperatives: Challenges and Solution Proposals”, prepared with contributions from SUBÜ academics, has been shared with the public. The study offers scientific solutions to the structural problems faced by cooperatives.
Academics from Sakarya University of Applied Sciences (SUBÜ) contributed to the report, prepared under the leadership of the Sakarya Governorship. The results were publicly announced in a program hosted by the Sakarya Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The report was based on interviews with managers, members, and stakeholders of various types of cooperatives operating in Sakarya. It examines the main structural challenges cooperatives face and proposes solutions from a scientific perspective. Faculty members from SUBÜ’s Faculty of Applied Sciences, including Prof. Dr. Sinan Esen, Dr. Onur Mustafa Yılmaz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Bağış, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metin Saygılı, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zafer Adıgüzel, contributed to the report. The study was also supported by the Sakarya Provincial Directorate of Commerce, the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change.
Key Highlights of the Report
The report, aimed at supporting local development, emphasizes the growing importance of cooperatives in the national economy. It was found that more than half of cooperatives across Turkey are either inactive or deregistered from the trade registry. In particular, consumption, small crafts, and motor vehicle cooperatives face high inactivity rates. The report identifies five main structural challenges: managerial vulnerabilities, financial exclusion, lack of human capital, technological adaptation deficiencies, and market access difficulties. It also highlights that low participation of youth and women prevents the full utilization of productive potential. Proposed solutions include promoting a culture of strategic planning, increasing infrastructure investments, facilitating access to finance, and establishing mechanisms to encourage active participation of women. Concrete recommendations regarding digitalization, brand development, and market access were also included.
Cooperatives as a Foundation for Local Development
Commenting on the sustainability report, SUBÜ Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Oğuz Türkay stated:
"Cooperatives are not only an economic foundation but also a pillar of social solidarity and local development. Sustainability, in this sense, is both an environmental and sociocultural issue. At Sakarya University of Applied Sciences, we operate with a +1 Education Model that bridges theory with practice, trains students in real-life contexts, and brings knowledge to the field. The research we present today reflects this approach. In this study, we examined the current situation of cooperatives, the challenges they face, and proposed solutions. Our goal is to support existing cooperatives and provide guidance for new structures."
Türkiye üretiyor ve Dünya’ya satıyor
Araştırma raporunun kooperatifler için bir yol haritası ortaya koyduğunu vurgulayan Sakarya Valisi Rahmi Doğan, ‘Ülkemiz, yıllarca uygulanan ambargolara rağmen üretmeye devam etti. Bugün Türkiye, üretim gücüyle kendine yeten ve fazlasını dünyaya satan bir ülke konumundadır. Bu başarının arkasında özel sektörümüzün ve üreticimizin büyük katkısı vardır. Kooperatifçilik ise küçük birikimleri ve girişimleri bir araya getirerek büyük bir sinerjiye dönüştürebilen çok kıymetli bir modeldir. Yapılan bu çalışma, kooperatiflerin daha disiplinli, şeffaf ve denetlenebilir hale gelmesini sağlayacak bir yol haritası sunuyor. Emeği geçen herkese teşekkür ediyorum. Bu çalışmanın ülkemiz ve bölgemiz için hayırlı sonuçlar doğurmasını temenni ediyorum’ ifadelerini kullandı.
