Cooperating Out of Poverty

1. Cooperating Out of Poverty Paul Hazen Board Member International Cooperative Alliance & President & CEO, National Cooperative Business Association

2. 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

3. 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 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

4. How Co-Ops Support Employment Generation Cooperatives impact employment in terms of : • Sustainability • Size • Scale

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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