CoopSur - economic inclusion of SME and small farmers through cooperative and competitive structures in southern America

The DGRV promotes both primary cooperatives of different sectors and multi-level associative structures throughout the project landscape by applying a system-oriented approach. Project activities focus the micro- as well as the meso- and macro-level, combining the support of co-operative approaches from the base with the advice of regional and national sector institutions, respectively. By enhancing the creation of integrated systems and adapted frameworks the project aims at contributing to the promotion of social structure and to foster sustainability. Main areas of support are: Financial Inclusion, Rural Development, Vocational Training. The primary target groups are (1) micro and small businesses, craftsmen and farmers who have little or no access to markets and are not yet members of a cooperative and (2) members of existing cooperatives. Indirect target groups are officials and managers / executives / co-operative workers who act as multipliers, as well as authorities at regional and national level working in co-operative organizations (eg associations and central cooperatives) as well as in co-operative relevant institutions (eg ministries, supervisory authorities). Depending on the country and the main area of support, project partners can be either cooperative associations, central institutions of the cooperative sector and primary cooperatives as well as ministries, central banks, development banks, regulators and other authorities at a national and decentralized level (see above for a detailed list of the main partners in each country). The project is financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).