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The International Cooperative Research Group

The Research Group takes a Practical Approach to Research-Based Learning using academically rigorous methods, stakeholder inclusion, consultation and engagement, partnerships with experts and international organizations to produce evidence-backed data to support worldwide cooperative development.

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The International Cooperative Research Group

The Research Group takes a Practical Approach to Research-Based Learning using academically rigorous methods, stakeholder inclusion, consultation and engagement, partnerships with experts and international organizations to produce evidence-backed data to support worldwide cooperative development.

Visit The Research Group Page

New Online Cooperative Data Platform

U.S. OCDC and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) to create an online global data platform displaying international development projects run by CDOs

What Difference Do Cooperatives Make? Global Outcomes Report

“What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” (WDDCM) is a four-year research project that looks at the difference that primary cooperative societies are making in the lives of their members across four countries – Kenya, Peru, Philippines, and Poland.

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What Difference do Cooperatives Make? Peru

This newly published study seeks to understand the extent to which cooperatives provide a sound platform on which to build broad-based international development for sustainable, locally owned and institutionalized results. This report is also available in Spanish through our Resource Library.

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What Difference do Cooperatives Make? Philippines

This newly published study seeks to understand the extent to which cooperatives provide a sound platform on which to build broad-based international development for sustainable, locally owned and institutionalized results.

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What Difference do Cooperatives Make? Kenya

This recently published study builds upon it's other country studies to understand the extent to which cooperatives provide a sound platform on which to build broad-based international development for sustainable, locally owned and institutionalized results.

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What Difference do Cooperatives Make? Poland

This pilot study in Poland is the first in a series of country studies designed to understand the extent to which objective evidence will demonstrate that cooperatives provide a sound platform on which to base broad-based international development for sustainable, locally owned and institutionalized results.

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The u.s. overseas cooperative development council is ...

Committed to building a more prosperous world through cooperatives.

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Why Cooperatives? Read The OCDC Policy Paper


February 24, 2022

The U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council’s new policy paper takes a fresh look at the solutions that cooperatives bring to the critical challenges of our time. The paper, Cooperatives: Building a More Prosperous, Democratic, and Inclusive World, shows how cooperatives provide viable livelihoods, promote democratic principles, and foster inclusion of marginalized groups. It is replete


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Member Spotlight: Frontier Co-op – Doing Good, Works!


February 24, 2023

Thank you to Tony Bedard, CEO of Frontier Co-op for telling us how they have been showing the world since 1976 that Doing Good, Works! When was Frontier Co-op formed? Frontier Co-op was founded in 1976 in rural Iowa to help small grocers in the region pool their resources to gain access to the natural


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COVID-19 and Cooperative Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa


February 8, 2023

This research sought to identify the major challenges faced by cooperatives in sub-Saharan Africa during COVID-19, as well as strategies and strengths employed by cooperatives to mitigate adversities. The ICRG further endeavored to understand whether and how these challenges and strengths/ strategies related to cooperative business resilience during hardship. Through a combination of survey interviews,


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MiCDP: Mapping a global network that builds up cooperative development locally


December 15, 2022

The U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) launched a joint online data platform displaying international development projects run by Cooperative Development Organisations (CDOs) across the world. Explore the portal here > The Mapping International Cooperative Development Programs (MiCDP) platform proves the great impact of CDOs at local and global


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Member Spotlight: Equal Exchange


December 9, 2022

For our December 2022 Member Spotlight, we hear from Dary Goodrich, Chocolate Products Manager at Equal Exchange. Grab a cup of Equal Exchange coffee or cocoa to enjoy while reading this blog and learning more about this worker-owned cooperative!• What is Equal Exchange?Since its founding in 1986, Equal Exchange has been a pioneer and U.S.


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The research group.

The International Cooperative Research Group is a division of OCDC which carries out an international cooperative research agenda focused on issues related to the impact and effectiveness of cooperatives in developing countries and emerging markets. The RG designs, directly undertakes and partners of academic and practitioner partners to carry out rigorous research that helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice.  It also fosters a learning community within OCDC and provides resources and information related to cooperative development to OCDC members and to the broader international cooperative and development community.

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The information provided on this Web site is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.

The Collaborative Group

The Research Advisory Committee

What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?

Initiatives
Cooperative Development in Poland: A Legacy of USAID Assistance Identifying Processes and Policies Conducive to Cooperative Development in Africa Measuring Cooperative Success: New Challenges and Opportunities in Low-and Middle-Income Countries
Go to the Resource Library
409,522 Members of CDP Cooperatives and Credit Unions
CDP Implemented in 14 Countries
8 New Regulations Drafted in CDP Countries
Over $6 Million of New Revenue through Public Private Partnerships

Source: USAID Cooperative Development Program data, 2017

Cooperative Law And Regulation: CLARITY

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OCDC
@usocdc

MiCDP is growing! Come explore the Cooperative Development projects around the world! https://t.co/WcxQ5Fna50

OCDC Retweeted

International Cooperative Research Group
@OCDCICRG

RT @OCDCICRG: We were proud to engage in this impactful research that explored pathways to gender-inclusive economic development! In the sp…

OCDC
@usocdc

In the spirit of International Women’s Day 2023, we want to #EmbraceEquity by sharing how cooperatives create pathways for #women around the world! Read more here: https://t.co/9IUqLjHzqq https://t.co/FZ1ZElln2x

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Our Resources

Inclusion, equality, equity, and democracy arise when members form a cooperative.

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ICRG Resource Library


Cooperative Resilience: Annotated Bibliography


February 21, 2023

The following bibliography and its annotations were prepared through careful reading of the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council and the International Cooperative Research Group’s work in creating a Business Resiliency Framework. As recovery efforts from COVID-19 continue to shape cooperative policies, it is the hope of OCDC and ICRG to provide academically rigorous recommendations and


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Climate Finance – A Companion Report


February 21, 2023

This companion report provides a summary of main funders providing climate financing and key resources for countries where OCDC members operate and support cooperatives (as of June 2022). It complements the report “Climate Finance for Cooperatives. A Resource Guide” (2022), which contains more information on acronyms and interpretation for some of the sources mentioned. Together,


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Climate Finance Report


February 21, 2023

The idea for this research paper came out of discussions that took place during the 2022 International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) Annual Learning Event organized by OCDC in January 2022. During the Learning Event, OCDC’s CDO members expressed interest in understanding better the ‘green’ (or environmental) and climate finance landscape, given how closely the green


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CR2 Synthesis Report


February 21, 2023

The CR2 report highlights findings from the Collaborative Research for Cooperative Resilience Program.  COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH FOR COOPERATIVE RESILIENCE (CR2) RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS: A multisectoral analysis of cooperative resilience in emerging markets during COVID-19. The research took place with research partners selected through a competitive grant program administered by the International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) under the Overseas


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Job Opportunities

  • Job Posting: For Organizations June 1, 2020 by Research Group Interested in partnering with OCDC and the ICRG? We work with international cooperative development organizations to research, facilitate, and promote… Read More
  • Job Posting: For Individuals June 1, 2020 by Research Group Interested in working for OCDC? Check back to this page for future full-time positions available with OCDC and the ICRG! Read More

Proposal Requests

Call for Applications

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Cooperative Development Program

Cooperatives build a more stable, secure and prosperous world.

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