Today we visited Dos Pinos and Kyndryl where we were able to compare the cooperative business model with the multinational corporation model. I believe cooperatives create more value for the country because the benefits are directed to the local community. At Dos Pinos, the shareholders are farmers themselves, so the people doing the hard work are also the people making decisions and benefiting financially from the company’s success. Without a cooperative structure, individual farmers would have very little power on their own, so pooling their resources together allows them to have influence over how their products are produced, distributed, and sold.
The cooperative model is especially important in Costa Rica because many businesses throughout the country operate with this model, which increases the social value created by businesses in Costa Rica. Rather than decisions being made by distant executives focused on profits, cooperatives allow community members to have a say. This demonstrates our topic, community development, because the business model is designed around supporting the local community and empowering workers. In contrast, multinational corporations benefit foreign investors and large corporations more than the local population. In Costa Rica, multinational companies are attracted by the country’s safety and educated workforce, so most of the financial gain can ultimately benefit corporate America more than Ticos themselves.
Kyndryl places an emphasis on giving back to the community despite operating in a traditional multinational business structure. During our visit, it was clear that the company values initiatives like volunteering and encouraging women in the workplace, which demonstrates an effort to positively impact the local community beyond generating profit. So Kyndryl showed that large global companies can still incorporate social responsibility into their business practices. The cooperative model creates the strongest long-term impact because it keeps decision-making power and economic benefits more directly in the hands of Costa Rican communities.