Cooperatives are building a better world: discover how!
The International Cooperative Alliance is the voice of cooperatives worldwide
It was established in 1895 to promote the cooperative model. Today cooperative members represent at least 12% of humanity. As businesses driven by values and not by the remuneration of capital, the 3 million cooperatives on earth act together to build a better world.
What is a cooperative?
Cooperatives are people-centred enterprises jointly owned and democratically controlled by and for their members to realise their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations. As enterprises based on values and principles, they put fairness and equality first allowing people to create sustainable enterprises that generate long-term jobs and prosperity. Managed by producers, users or workers, cooperatives are run according to the 'one member, one vote' rule.
Cooperative impact
The cooperative movement accounts
Our work
Unite
Promote
Develop
Discover what the ICA offers to cooperative organisations worldwide
REGIONS & SECTORS
Cooperatives Europe represents 141 million cooperators, uniting, promoting and developing cooperative enterprises across all business sectors in the European region.
The International Cooperative Alliance Asia-Pacific is the regional organisation uniting, promoting and developing cooperative enterprises across all business sectors in Asia and the Pacific.
Cooperatives of the Americas (formerly ICA-Americas) represents, supports and links around one hundred entities, including confederations, federations and primary cooperatives in the north, central, south and Caribbean region of the Americas.
International Cooperative Alliance – Africa (The Alliance Africa) serves, unites and represents ICA member organizations in Africa and promotes and strengthens autonomous and viable cooperatives throughout the region.
ICAO
The International Co-operative Agricultural Organisation (ICAO) is the global representative of agricultural cooperatives. Founded in 1951, it's one of the International Co-operative Alliance's eight sectoral organizations.
Banking
The International Cooperative Bank Association is a sectoral organisation established to promote the development of banking cooperatives around the world.
Cooperative Consumers Worldwide
Consumer Co-operatives Worldwide (CCW) unites, represents, and defends the interests of organizations of consumer cooperatives around the globe.
Fisheries
The International Fish Cooperative Organisation (ICFO) is a sectoral organisation established to promote the development of fisheries cooperatives around the world, to promote trade, to share co-operative training and education materials as well as information on fishery matters.
Health care
The International Health Cooperative Organisation is a Sectoral Organisation of the ICA, created to promote the development of health cooperatives and provide information about their nature and role to international agencies and bodies.
Housing
Co-operative Housing International is one of the eight sectoral organisations of the International Cooperative Alliance. It was established to promote the development of cooperative housing in all countries, and in particular developing countries, as an economic and social contribution to the problem of providing shelter.
Insurance
International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF) is the only global representative body of the cooperative and mutual insurance sector.
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