--Co-operatives Reducing Poverty in Rural China

Introduction

The International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives (Gung Ho-ICCIC) and the Canadian Cooperative Association (CCA) are pleased to enter into a partnership to undertake the Co-operatives Reducing Poverty in Rural China Project. The project duration will be 3 years, beginning in April 2006 and concluding in March 2009.

Project Goal

l        To reduce poverty among farmer members and their families in the counties served by the three pilot co-operatives;

l        To bring these co-ops to a level of operational excellence to stand as examples of member-driven enterprises for government leaders, policy makers, researchers and co-op practitioners to learn from; and

l        To enable Gung Ho to deliver enhanced business development training and coaching services to other co-operatives in China.

Impact

With this three-year project, ICCIC will establish three high-grade examples of rural co-operative enterprise as a means to demos- trate how member owned and controlled co- ops can effectively reduce poverty in rural China. Through establishing and delivering coaching services to the three co-ops, ICCIC will also improve its own capacity to provide more effective and marketable consultative services, specifically business support services, to China’s growing co-op sector.

Main tasks of ICCIC-Gung Ho are

● To strengthen international and domestic support for the Chinese co-operative movement;

● To publicize and carry out the ICA principles widely accepted by the international co-operative movement;

● To provide services to co-operatives;

● To maintain good relations with the government so as to urge cooperative laws to be enacted and related policies to be adjusted to favor the development of cooperatives;

● To develop and strengthen ties and co-operation with other co-operative organizations, and support the study of co-operative theory and practices, as well as exchange of experience and information between domestic and foreign co-operatives.

Expected Results

l        Increased incomes for poor families

l        Enhanced market linkages

l        Strengthened cooperative management capacity

l        Strengthened Gung Ho consultancy capacity

l        Improved environmental practices

l        Three demonstration pilot co-ops

l        Government, academic and practitioner stakeholders aware of pilots

       l     Improved gender equality