A good analogy, a good example, is the Inuit art marketing. Many of our member cooperatives began as producer cooperatives marketing the art produced by their owner-members. The cooperative network has been involved in art marketing for more than 50 years, and we have been the constant throughout that process. Unfortunately, art marketing is something that when the economy goes up the market goes up, and when the economy goes down we see the market going down. But because cooperatives have been there, we have been able to provide that stability in the market. If we weren't there, we don't know that the industry would be in the position it's in today. It is experiencing difficult times because of the economic conditions, but it continues. Would it have continued if there was not stability?
On July 26th, 2012. See this statement in context.