Lighting the Way: Cooperatives Build a Better World
This year’s conference theme celebrates the United Nations’ International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) and its powerful message: Cooperatives Build a Better World. The theme highlights the transformative role cooperatives play in addressing global challenges and fostering shared prosperity, resilience, and sustainability.
Drawing inspiration from the Northern Lights visible in Duluth, MN, the theme symbolizes the beauty and potential of individuals working together, and how cooperatives—like auroras—can illuminate the path toward a brighter shared future. By embracing the principles of collective action and solidarity, cooperatives create a spectrum of possibilities locally and globally.
Together, through cooperation, we are shaping a better world, inspired by the brilliance of what we can achieve collectively.
What can you expect from CCMA 2025?
- Engaging keynote speakers highlighting issues impacting the cooperative movement
- Breakout sessions featuring your cooperative peers sharing their lessons learned and strategies for the future
- Co-op tours highlights the local gems that Duluth has to offer
- Social activities to connect and network with food cooperative peers
About CCMA
CCMA is the national annual conference for food cooperative directors, management, staff, and sector allies. The CCMA conference is organized by the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives with assistance from a planning committee comprised of co-op managers and board members, representatives from cooperative associations, development organizations, financial partners and other various allies.
CCMA Purpose Statement
CCMA is the longest-standing national gathering of retail food co-op leaders in the U.S, creating an inclusive space that welcomes a broad range of food co-op leaders – from managers and staff to board members and cooperative allies – fostering connections across all levels. CCMA attendees learn, connect, collaborate, and come away reinvigorated to do the hard but important work of empowering communities and building a more just and sustainable food system through the cooperative model.
How we fulfill the purpose:
- Held annually in partnership with rotating host co-ops, CCMA prioritizes a vibrant, locally-rooted experience that showcases the unique aspects of the community through curated tours and activities.
- Our programming combines movement-building with hands-on training in cooperative governance and operations, emphasizing peer learning, practical application, and adding strength to the broader cooperative movement. As part of a continuum of training opportunities for retail food co-op leaders, we situate learning within the broader local, regional, and cooperative context.
- We invite attendees to join us ready to learn, share insights, and collaborate to strengthen the cooperative movement!
Get updates on the CCMA conference!
Contact
Questions, ideas, musings about CCMA? Please contact Megan Webster at mawebster@wisc.edu or 608-890-1048