; Whereas in purchasing and shared-service cooperatives, independent and franchise businesses who rely on them thrive; Whereas in the agriculture sector, cooperatives account for a significant portion of the economic activity in the United States agriculture and food markets; Whereas these producer cooperatives collectively help farmers buy required supplies and services to operate their individual farms and help more efficiently market their raw or processed products more than if they performed these duties individually; Whereas food cooperatives range in size from small, local buying clubs to multistore regional giants that go head-to-head with national chain stores; Whereas in the housing sector, housing cooperatives and resident-owned communities are an alternative to conventional rental apartments, mobile home parks, and condominiums; Whereas a housing cooperative owns the building or land and empowers each resident with ownership and responsibility; Whereas housing cooperatives have roots dating to the late 1800s and today are mostly concentrated in major cities like New York City, Chicago, and the District of Columbia, and increasingly are becoming an alternative for students at colleges throughout the United States; Whereas cooperatives allow residents of mobile home parks to collectively purchase the land they live on, providing stability and the opportunity to self-govern; Whereas, as of 2018, at least 220 mobile home communities have converted to a resident-owned model; Whereas in worker cooperatives, members both perform the work and govern the business; Whereas in recent years, many businesses are choosing to structure this way so that workers have greater control over the business in which they work and own; Whereas many sole proprietor, partnership, or family businesses are converting to worker-owned cooperatives when faced with a potential closure or buyout