Co-operative Development

International Institutions:

International Cooperative Alliance

ICA is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. As the voice of the co-operative movement, ICA promotes and defends co-operative identity, ensuring that co-operative enterprise is a recognised form of enterprise that is able to compete in the marketplace. It also raises awareness about co-operatives through publications, meetings and workshops, helps its members in lobbying for new legislation and more appropriate administrative procedures that respect the co-operative model, and provides technical assistance to co-operatives through its development programme.

World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) is the global trade association and development agency for credit unions. WOCCU promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial co-operatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services.

The International Raiffeisen Union (IRU) is a worldwide voluntary association of national co-operative organisations which work and ideas are based on Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen’s principles of self-help, self-responsibility and self-administration.

The ICA and ILO initiated Global Co-operative Campaign against Poverty

The International Labour Organisation and the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) have joined forces and formed the Global Co-operative Campaign Against Poverty. It aims to strengthen the capacity of co-operatives to make a significant contribution to poverty reduction, particularly with regards to the Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty by half by the year 2015.

North America:

The Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF) works in partnership with the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) to mobilise resources and equip people with the co-operative tools to change their lives for the better.

ACDI / VOCA is a private, non-profit organisation that promotes broad-based economic growth and the development of civil society in emerging democracies and developing countries.

The National Co-operative Business Association’s CLUSA Program has worked in developing countries to economically empower individuals and communities through the development of effective, sustainable group businesses, community-based organisations and democratic practices. Co-operative development, both at home and abroad, is a critical component of NCBA’s mission.

The Canadian Cooperative Association website provides links to co-operatives, non-governmental and governmental organisations and research institutions engaged in international co-operative development.

The USDA Rural Development, Business and Co-operative Programs produces a monthly Rural Co-operatives Magazine. The July/August, and November issues can be downloaded here.

Développement international Desjardins (DID) is a component of the Desjardins Group, the largest co-operative financial group in Canada. DID, which is currently active in twenty countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, specializes in providing technical support and investment for community finance. DID works in partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and many other multilateral organisations.

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) In 1962, their overseas involvement began as a partnership with the newly-established US Agency for International Development (USAID) as a means of exporting America’s model of co-operative rural electrification. [website]

Europe:

The Rabobank Foundation (Netherlands) is committed to improving the lives of underprivileged and disadvantaged groups of people by providing them with the opportunity to live full and independent lives. In line with Rabobank’s own co-operative background, the Rabobank Foundation especially focuses on establishing and promoting co-operative savings and loan systems.

NORCOOP (The Royal Norwegian Society for Development) (no longer available)

The EZAI Foundation is a research institute in Spain that was set up in 1998 to promote the research and improvement of social-economic and co-operative policies.

The Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC) was created by the Swedish Co-operative Movement in 1958, and its founders and present member organisations represent all major Swedish co-operatives and sectors where co-operatives play a central role in Swedish society and economy. Through long-term development work and “help to self-help”, the SCC equips people with the tools needed to fight poverty themselves.

Fonds voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking

Federation of Danish Co-operatives (in Danish)

Belgishche Raffeisienstichting

Deutscher Genossenschafts und Raiffeisenverband e. V. (DGRV – German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation) has over 17 million members spread across about 5,300 cooperatives.

Euro Coop – European Community of Consumer Cooperatives was founded in 1957 as the first consumer organisation in Europe. Euro Coop is the apex body for European consumer coops and facilitates dialogue on a range of issues including on development.

Africa:

COPAC – Co-operative and Policy Alternative Center promotes co-operative sector development in South Africa, providing information, technical tools and capacity building resources.

The International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF) is a long established and unique global organisation representing co-operative and mutual insurers from around the world. ICMIF aims to promote and work with the co-operative and mutual insurance sector globally by being a leader in providing information and services to members, and representing the interests of, the global co-operative and mutual insurance sector.

Asia

India:

The Rural Development and Management Centre in New Dehli, India, is a non-governmental organisation which aims “to develop and improve human resource as a contributory factor to strengthen civil society aimed at uplifting the conditions of rural poor, farmers, both men and women, and small and medium enterprises through better governance and management”. The centre conducts research and offers various types of colloborative training and development programmes. It has produced some useful articles which discuss agricultural co-operatives. These can be downloaded in the “Useful Resources” section of our website.

The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was founded in 1965 to promote, finance and support producer-owned and controlled organisations. NDDB’s programmes and activities seek to strengthen farmer cooperatives and support national policies that are favourable to the growth of such institutions. Fundamental to NDDB’s efforts are co-operative principles and co-operative strategies.

Since its inception, the Dairy Board has planned and spearheaded India’s dairy programmes by placing dairy development in the hands of milk producers and the professionals they employ to manage their co-operatives. In addition, NDDB also promotes other commodity-based co-operatives, allied industries and veterinary biological on an intensive and nation-wide basis.

The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

The National Cooperative Union of India has the following objectives:

• To promote and develop the co-operative movement in India.
• To educate, guide and assist the people in their efforts to build up and expand the co-operative sector.
• To serve as an exponent of co-operative opinion in accordance with co-operative principles.

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed) is a farmers’ co-operative established in1958. Nafed was setup with the object to promote co-operative marketing of agricultural produce to benefit the farmers, who are its main members.

Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) is a co-operative society for the manufacture of fertiliser.

This page hosts a list of co-operative banks in India

If you have any suggestions for additional sites, please email us.