LONDON-The International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] posted on its website on Friday it had welcomed two new members in the month of March: ESAF Swasraya Multi-State Agro Cooperative Society Limited [ESMACO] from India and the Royal Norwegian Society for Development [Norges Vel] from Norway as Associate Members.
According to ICA, ESMACO is a national-level cooperative whose members are social enterprises registered in October 2011, in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.
With over 37,000 members, ESMACO mainly provides financial services to promote sustainable livelihood and economic development. ESMACO also provides skill training for rural youth and women. As an agro cooperative, it gives special attention to community farming, organic cultivation, among others.
With over 8,600 employees, ESMACO provides capacity building to farmer producer organisations and manages warehouse facilities and organise farmer interest groups to be able to apply for loans. Its subsidiary Rhema Dairy is actively involved in the supply chain and value-added products,” ICA says on its website
Meanwhile, according to ICA, Norges Vel is an independent nonprofit organisation that aspires to promote thriving local communities where people can reside, work and live their lives.
“Norges Vel is Norway’s oldest nation-wide member organisation, engaging in local development work ever since 1809. Since 1978, it has also worked with industrial development at the international level. Norges Vel’s vision is to contribute to vigorous local communities in Norway and abroad.”
ICA added: “Its values are the promotion of sustainable development based on a social, ‘green’ and financially sound platform. Norges Vel believes in participative democracy, equitable distribution and equality.”
ICA on the other hand reported VME COOP from the United Kingdom transitioned from Associate to full Member.
The ICA has now 317-member organisations from 107 countries.
https://thecooperator.news/ica-board-meets-in-bulgaria/
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