International Co-operative Alliance 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  Economic empowerment – 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  Prevent millions from falling into poverty – Sustainable livelihoods

International Co-operative Alliance ICA and co-operative development  Connecting People and Ideas through ICA’s Development Programme – Network, Catalyst, Coordinator – Capacity building  Advocacy and awareness raising – Co-operating out of Poverty Campaign – ICA Global 300 The combined turnover of the Global 300 is almost USD 1 trillion dollars – the 10 th 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 :  Sustainability  Size  Scale

International Co-operative Alliance Co-ops reduce poverty - Examples  Côte d'Ivoire – USD 26 millions invested by co-ops every year in community development including schools, rural roads, maternity clinics, etc.  Costa Rica – CoopeSilencio established eco-tourism programmes controlled & run by women, invested in providing schooling & professional training, promotes environmental conservation.  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.  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  South Africa – Newton Housing Co-operative, providing quality and affordable housing in inner city of Johannesburg  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  Vietnam – Coopmart generates 400% higher profits per kilo of tomatoes than what producer co-operatives receive in traditional chains

International Co-operative Alliance Mozambique  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: Paul Hazen NCBA Washington DC, USA Web: –