Mapping International Cooperative Development Programmes

The Role of Cooperatives

Cooperatives play a major role in creating an inclusive and sustainable economy around the world. As people-centered businesses, cooperatives enable a locally anchored development process, thanks to their specific model based on self-help, democratic ownership, and concern for the community.

To demonstrate the impact of Cooperative Development Organizations (CDOs), the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) joined forces to demonstrate the extensive reach and scope CDOs have - invoking greater collaboration with development partners.

What are CDOs?

Cooperative Development Organizations (CDOs) are cooperatives and cooperative support organizations, that support and/or implement development projects outside their home countries. CDOs believe that cooperatives are ideal engines for development, since they empower people to fulfill their human, social and economic rights and needs.

The data displayed on this portal provides access to information from around 30 CDOs. The goal is to strengthen the network, encourage world-wide exchanges and connect CDOs to new partners and stakeholders.

Development Projects

Resilient Communities: supporting vulnerable and affected Palestinian communities

Palestine (State of)

Empowering women through the development of cedar and rosemary forest cooperatives in Morocco (COOPFAM)

Morocco

Supporting Economic Prosperity for Women and Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine

Ukraine

We Prosper - The Entrepreneurship Development Project for Conflict-Affected Rural Population of Ukraine

Ukraine

SOCODEVI together with CECI (the lead agency), with their Canadian partner Ouranos are implementing the project "Women and Resilient Agriculture (FAR) in Senegal

FAR (Femmes et Agriculture Résiliente)

Senegal

AGROEMPRENDE CACAO

Colombia

Cooperative Development Organizations

Legacoop - Alleanza Delle Cooperative Italiane

Italian national apex cooperative organization representing around 10.000 cooperatives active in all the economic sectors, with 7.4 million individual members and around 457.000 employees. Legacoop is articulated in seven sectoral associations and regional/territorial branches covering the national territory. Legacoop supports cooperatives through specialized structures (for training, financial support, digitalization, etc.).

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Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union

Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union (JCCU) was established in March 1951 as the national federation of consumer co-ops in Japan. Today, about 314 consumer co-ops and consumer co-op unions join JCCU and the total of business turnover of the member co-ops is about 3.8 trillion JPY, with total of 30 million members. JCCU is the largest consumers' organization in Japan.

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Co-operative College

Born over 100 years ago out of a need for radical education that fights for social justice, our mission is to inspire and enable people, through co-operative learning, to transform lives and tackle inequalities in their communities, creating a fairer world.

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