CUNA supports the funding level of $17 million for the Cooperative Development Program (CDP) included in the State, Foreign operations, Agriculture, Rural Development, Interior, Environment, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2021. The House is expected to consider the legislation in the coming days.

“A main source of funding for WOCCU has been the Cooperative Development Program (CDP) of the Development Assistance account in the State-Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations bill.  In fiscal year 2020, Congress provided an appropriation of $17,000,000 to be available for cooperative development programs of USAID,” wrote CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle to House leadership. “The CDP is a global initiative that focuses on building capacity of cooperative businesses and cooperative systems for self-reliance, local ownership, and sustainability.”

CDP’s implementing partners have advanced cooperative businesses and systems in more than 18 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Activities are targeted to strengthen cooperative businesses in several ways including improved governance, capitalization, gender empowerment, youth engagement, financial management, market performance, and advocacy. 

“The program also prioritizes collaboration among partners through working groups, cooperative research, learning, and dissemination of cooperative development resources,” Nussle wrote. “During the life of the program, activities have supported more than 500 cooperatives and credit unions with a combined savings of $495 million. 

During this time period, the program has also:  

• Provided health insurance and services to more than 42,000 people in Uganda;
• Leveraged more than $95 million of investments for cattle cooperatives in South Africa;
• Increased member equity among cacao cooperatives in Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican Republic by more than $4 million; and
• Reformed cooperative law and regulation in Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Ukraine.