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Library and Key Documents

By Issue

Law / Enabling Environment
Governance
Cooperative Finance
Fair Trade

Law and Enabling Environment

CDOs are currently focusing on studying cooperative legislation over the next few years. Click here for this section.

Governance

Governance Issues in Cooperatives - Agenda for Research
by Arvind Gupta
Click here to read.

Experience on Financial Behavior Modification in The Savings and Loan Sector of Costa Rica (April 1990- December 1992)
Written by Jose Linares Fontela, Psychologist in EADA Escuela de Alta Dirección y Adminstración.
Click here for full study in MS Word.
Click here for full study in PDF.

Development of the Image and Savings Promotion in The Credit Unions of Costa Rica (May 1992-December 1994)
Written by Jose Linares Fontela, Psychologist in EADA Escuela de Alta Diección y Adminstración.
Click here for full study in MS Word.
Click here for full study in PDF.

Governance in the Management of Cooperatives
by Daman Prakash
http://www.coop.org/ica/issues/governance.html

Promotion of Cooperatives-ILO Survey 2001
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc89/rep-v-2.htm

Cooperative Finance

Financing for Small Farmer Groups
by John Rouse
Senior Officer
Rural Institutions and Participation Service (SDAR)
FAO Rural Development Division
Click here to view.

The Farm Credit System
by Tim Gilbert
Click here to read.

Understanding Cooperatives: Financing Cooperatives
by Robert C. Rathbone for USDA
January 1999
Click here to read.

Understanding Cooperatives: Base Capital Financing of Cooperatives
by Robert C. Rathbone for USDA
February 1997
Click here to read.

Cooperative Enterprise and Organization Theory
by Peter Heimberger and Sidney Hoos
Journal of Cooperatives, Volume 10, Issue Date 1995
Abstract: This paper shows that organization theory provides a broader interpretation of the firm that is useful for empirical research on cooperative decision making. It will also be shown that by making certain assumptions within an organizational framework, the marginal analysis can be used in deriving hypothesis about cooperative performance in much the same way as it has been used in traditional theory.
Click here to order.

Click here for other information on cooperative finance.

Fair Trade

Fair Trade and Cooperatives
A website created by OCDC for COPAC.
Click here to enter.

An Introduction to Fair Trade and Cooperatives: A Methodology (DRAFT)
July 20, 2005
By Kate Surber
Click here to read.
Please send comments and suggested changes to coopdevelopmentcenter@ocdc.coop

Reflections on the Rising Coffee Market

This article by Equal Exchange, a worker-owned fair trade cooperative, analyzes the rising cost of coffee on the market and why many coffee cooperatives are not benefiting from this. It also outlines potential solutions for coffee cooperatives to better compete on the market. Click here to read.

Grassroots Guide to Promoting Fair Trade
This guide has great links to information on fair trade and coops.
Click here to view.

COPAC OPEN FORUM
Fair Trade and Cooperatives
21 January 2005
Click here to go to the COPAC website and view the presentations, papers and links to speakers. Selected presentations are below:

Co-operatives and Fair-trade
A good explanation of the links and process
By, Prof. P. Delvetere and Drs. I. Pollet
Click here to read.

Fair Trade and the UK Cooperatives
By, Jacqui MacDonald, Co-operative College
Click here to read.

The Best Price or Capacity Building: the Uraguay Experience
By, Gaston Rico
Click here to read presentation.
Click here to read paper.

CONAPI (Consorzio di Apicoltori ed Agricoltori-biologici italiani)
Italian Experience
By, Hugo Valdés
Click here to read.

Fair Trade and Cooperatives: the Uganda Experience
By, Jack Bigirwa
Click here to read the presentation.
Click here to read the paper.

Cooperative Fair Trade Coffee: The U.S. Experience
By, Ted Weihe, U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council
Presentation to COPAC Forum on Fair Trade Coffee
January 21, 2005 in Berlin, Germany
Click here to read paper.

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