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The International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP), whose membership includes agricultural co-operatives, extends its fraternal greetings to the entire Co-operative family worldwide on the 79th International Co-operative Day - 7th UN International Day of Co-operatives. |
The theme for this year's International Co-operative Day is extremely pertinent. It reminds us of the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity on which the co-operative movement worldwide is built. We are being called upon to renew our faith in these time-tested co-operative values, which were responsible for the many benefits that accrued to those who believed in a co-operative action through formation of co-operatives. Renewing our faith is all the more necessary considering that the circumstances under which co-operatives, including farmers' organizations, operate today have radically changed.
Liberalization of economies and the globalization of markets have posed enormous challenges that put to test "the co-operative advantage'. For example, co-operatives and other member-owned organizations find themselves competing with large transnational corporations. While this is probably the greatest challenge that co-operative organizations face, the intellectual and attitudinal glorification of the virtues of investor-owned firms have tended to undermine the co-operative values, principles and practices
In the third millennium, our greatest challenge is poverty elimination. In tackling this challenge, agri-business will be dominant in food production and distribution. As such, producer co-operatives will have to find ways of working together with consumer co-operatives. This will be the only way to bring the much-needed human face in today's business world where the producers and the consumers get raw deals from middlemen. IFAP calls on the co-operative fraternity to take stock of the lessons learned from the beating co-operatives have received since the changes in government policies in order for the millennium co-operatives to be re-built on the time-tested values.
IFAP wishes to join hands with the ICA in calling on its members to promote the co-operative advantage through exemplary services to members and adherence to the essential co-operative values of honesty, accountability, transparency and democracy. Member-loyalty on which co-operatives have over-depended can no longer be taken for granted in the new millennium.
In order to profit from "the co-operative advantage", co-operatives will need a leadership that can foresee opportunities in the changing environment and to act on them. Through networks and partnerships both IFAP and the ICA can build the capacities of these organizations for them to truly promote "the co-operative advantage."
Back to materials for International Day of Cooperatives, 2001
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Updated: 15 June 2001