Research project to improve cooperatives in developing countries | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD)

The International Cooperative Research Group has set up projects to research governance issues within cooperatives in developing countries. Fixing these issues will help cooperatives to improve their performance and create a liaison between the enterprises and their developers.

The project will focus on the impact of cooperatives on members, including: women and youth; the role of good governance in keeping co-operatives democratic; the impact of co-op size and complexity on member benefits; and the ways in which raising equity capital keeps co-ops financially strong. This project will also promote trust between cooperatives and businesses. For example, today less than 10% of farmers sell their products to cooperatives because of the lack of trust and understanding between these business sectors.

When asked about the project, Dr. Nadeau who joined the Research Group in February 2014 stated, “our emphasis is on using rigorous research techniques to identify what’s working and what’s not working in specific co-op development projects, and then recommend and evaluate training and other tools that can be used to improve co-operative performance on a co-op-by-co-op basis”.

To read more about this project, please click here.