Co-operative Business in France : an economic reality

[January 2011]

A century of history for real recognition for co-operatives in France
The pioneers of co-operative system were the “fruitières”, cheese dairies, in Jura. Breeders didn’t have enough milk to do one tomme cheese of Comté, they needed 500L of milk just for one. So all brought to the “fruitière” to do one big cheese and after they shared this according to their contribution. This system has worked since XIIIth century.
But the real beginning of co-operatives take roots in XVIIIth and XIXth century during a rich intellectual and artistic period combined to a social and politic history in high evolution.
Politics are really criticized and few ideas emerged to counterbalance the power of upper middle classes and to give more to workers. In this context, the doctrine of Saint Simon (1760 - 1825) found its place with Philippe Buchez, a disciple of Saint Simon. In fact, this one imagined in 1831 a worker association, a company whose the capital belonged to nobody and were inalienable. The 1st producer co-operatives came into existence after this publication, as the joiners worker association in 1832 and jellewers worker association in 1834.
A third thinker had an idea to solve “industrial anarchy”, Charles Fourier (1772-1837). He purposed a grouping of producer in a company of a community as a place to work and live with free association.
All of these ideas were experimented with more or less success mainly in the East of France, around Lyon. At this time, it was a city with a lot of workers. At the beginning co-operative represented a way for revolution. So until 1848, they were not supported by politics.
But in February 1848, it was the second revolution and succeeded with the proclamation of the 2nd Republic. From this victory of the Parisian people, co-operatives had the support of the Republic. So Paris saw the high development of production