Literature review on co-operative resilience in times of crisis

This literature review is the first step of a broader research inquiry into Canadian co-operative responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to allow a clearer understanding of how co-operatives have weathered and responded to past crises. Although the focus of the overall research is about co-operatives in Canada, the scarcity of publications on their reactions to historical crises have led us to broaden our scope to include international publications. Literature reviewed includes French and English academic papers, governmental publications, and reports published by organizations focused on co-operatives. To begin, we present the main results found in the literature with a specific interest in waves of co-operative formation in times of crises and discussions about the way co-operatives weathered the 2007 financial crisis and its subsequent economic crisis. Thereafter, we list the resilience factors identified by the authors of these publications. We conclude with proposals for future research that would deepen our understanding of the way (Canadian) co-operatives behave in times of crisis.