By Simon Danneskiold-Samsøe, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: Colourbox

In the mid-1800s, Danish farmers faced a number of existential challenges. These stemmed primarily from economic pressures caused by large estates, foreign producers, and a weak bargaining position with buyers. The solution ultimately became a cornerstone of the Danish societal model and culture, and the cooperative movement has since been transferred to a wide range of other sectors.

Although today’s climate and environmental challenges differ in many ways from those faced by farmers back then, the principles behind the cooperative movement and small communities remain strong, and they can help us move toward more sustainable consumption. This is documented by researchers from Aalborg University in a new research article.

“If we want to meet our climate targets and ensure vibrant local environments with diverse species and abundant life, it’s not enough to focus on making today’s systems more efficient and optimized. We need to view our consumption in an entirely new light and change the way we organize consumption and production. This is where the cooperative mindset, where people organize themselves in smaller communities, becomes highly interesting,” says Line Kryger Aagaard, postdoc at BUILD - Department of the Built Environment at AAU.

The Keyword: Frugality

Although research shows that there is widespread understanding of the need to eat more seasonally and locally, live in smaller spaces, and use sustainable transportation, many of our societal structures are built on such large scales that they can, for various reasons, be difficult to change. These challenges diminish when we become better at organizing ourselves into smaller communities, where each member has greater influence and responsibility.

“For me, the key word is frugality. Whereas large actors often prioritize efficiency and profit, smaller communities are far better positioned to prioritize other values, such as the local environment, community, and everyday well‑being,” says Line Kryger Aagaard. She continues:

“A good example is community‑supported agriculture, where ordinary families buy a share of the harvest and thereby share both the risk and the reward with the farmer. In addition to ensuring locally produced, seasonal vegetables, it creates local anchoring and a closer relationship between producers and consumers. Ultimately, this helps secure more sustainable decisions.”

The study is based on focus groups with 52 stakeholders from the food, housing, and mobility sectors. It also points out that political frameworks and support schemes should promote collective and frugality‑oriented solutions. This can be done through access to land, support for cooperative projects, and revised procurement requirements that prioritize community‑based initiatives.