Cooperating Out of Poverty
Paul Hazen
Board Member
International Cooperative Alliance
&
President & CEO,
National Cooperative Business Association
International Co-operative Alliance
Co-operatives offer opportunity
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Economic empowerment
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–
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Pooling resources
Creating economies of scale
Access to financial services
Provide safe and reasonably priced consumer goods
Participation in development
– Organised to have their voices heard
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Prevent millions from falling into poverty
– Sustainable livelihoods
International Co-operative Alliance
ICA and co-operative development
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Connecting People and Ideas through ICA’s
Development Programme
– Network, Catalyst, Coordinator
– Capacity building
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Advocacy and awareness raising
– Co-operating out of Poverty Campaign
–
www.outofpoverty.coop
ICA Global 300
• The combined turnover of the Global 300 is almost USD 1 trillion
dollars – the 10th largest economy – just below the GNP of
Canada.
– ICA Developing 300
International Co-operative Alliance
How Co-Ops Support
Employment Generation
Cooperatives impact employment in terms of :
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Sustainability
Size
Scale
International Co-operative Alliance
Co-ops reduce poverty - Examples
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Côte d'Ivoire
– USD 26 millions invested by co-ops every year in community
development including schools, rural roads, maternity clinics, etc.
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Costa Rica
– CoopeSilencio established eco-tourism programmes controlled &
run by women, invested in providing schooling & professional
training, promotes environmental conservation.
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East Timor
– Cooperativa Café Timor with 157,328 farmer producers is the largest
coffee exporter and private sector employer in East Timor providing
nearly 30 million USD in total wage payments.
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India
– dairy co-operatives produce 22 % of all milk in India. 60% of
member are landless, very small holders, or women.
International Co-operative Alliance
More examples
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South Africa
– Newton Housing Co-operative, providing quality and
affordable housing in inner city of Johannesburg
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United States
– workers co-operatives like Cooperative Home Care
Associates (CHCA), South Bronx-based owner home care
agency providing 1600 quality jobs, generating USD 60 million
in revenue
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Vietnam
– Coopmart generates 400% higher profits per kilo of
tomatoes than what producer co-operatives receive in
traditional chains
International Co-operative Alliance
Mozambique
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A new project with the support from the Gates
Foundation to create expansion and
production for cotton farmers of cotton to:
– Increase production for up to 50,000 farmers using
improved farm systems
– Assist 1,500 farmer groups to develop business
plans, group bylaws, basic record keeping, and the
conduct of simple market analyses
– Create sustained employment for 15,000 farmers
–30% includes women
International Co-operative Alliance
Strategic Partnerships for Future
Employment Growth
Cooperatives are forging strategic relations with
foundations and other corporations to further
development activities and global job growth
– Gates Foundation
– Chevron
– Starbucks
International Co-operative Alliance
Conclusion
By identifying common interests
and uniting them with shared values,
people can make a difference for the better,
in their own lives and
in the lives of those around them
through the cooperative form of enterprise
International Co-operative Alliance
Contact
International Co-operative Alliance
Geneva, Switzerland
Web: www.ica.coop - Email: ica@ica.coop
Paul Hazen
NCBA
Washington DC, USA
Web: www.ncba.coop – Email: phazen@ncba.coop
International Co-operative Alliance