ICA
ICA is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. Founded in 1895, ICA has 219 member organisations from 87 countries active in all sectors of the economy. Together these co-operatives represent more than 800 million individuals worldwide.
General Assembly
Demutualisation Watch
International Accounting Standards resulting in potential demutualisation. In order to meet future capital requirements,resulting from the impending supervision of finance companies by the Reserve Bank and changes to international Reporting Standards (IFRS), the board of Motor Trade Finances Limited (MTF) of New Zealand will be putting a restructuring proposal to its co-operative shareholders. The proposal includes conversion to an investor owned company. Read more: www.mtf.co.nz/pdf/information/MTF-press-release-25-sep-08.pdf
icanews f or these and other demutualisation stories.
Visit ICA demutualisation page.
Co-op Facts
In Colombia, the over 7,300 co-operatives are responsible for 5.61% of the GDP in 2007 - up from 5.37% in 2006 and 5.25% in 2005. They employ over 110,000 people and some sectors are providing a significant proportion of the jobs - 24.4% of all health sector jobs are provided by co-operatives, 18.3% of the jobs in the transport sector, 8.3% in agriculture and 7.21% of the jobs in the financial sector. (Source: Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2007) More co-op facts.
Members Offer
ICA communications services to members
Installation of icanews feed box on member's websites.
Exchange of logos - encouraging greater links between ICA and its members, including a new ICA Members Logo.
Free distribution of the ICA Digest to your members of members.
Farm Credit System in USA reports first Quarter 2008 combined Results, ELCA endorses Church Mutual Insurance Company, Italian wine co-operatives join forces and Regional health co-op discussed. Read these and more news about co-operation and co-operatives.
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ICA and the Global Financial Crisis
- ICA Open Letter to the Governments of the G-8
On 22 October, the ICA issued an open letter to the Governments of the G-8 reminding them that co-operative financial institutions are an alternative secure, stable and sustainable model of business owned and controlled by people. The letter also calls on political leaders to protect the world's people from the worst effects of the global recession that are being faced today as a result of the corporate mismanagement of the investor led model of business; to ensure that in the struggle against recession, and in any reform of the global financial structures such as a new regulatory system, that G-8 leaders take special note of the stability and security of the co-operative global economy and its value to the millions of individuals and families which it is supporting in all corners of the world, and give this model of business the recognition and political support that its contribution demand; and finally to ensure a level playing field between countries and banking models, and take account the diversity of banking systems in future rules. See full press release - English Version and
Versión en Español
- Declaration of the International Co-operative Banking Association (ICBA) about co-operative banks and the international financial crisis.
ICBA asks the institutions in charge of building a new international regulation system for the financial sector to take into account the interest and the contribution of the cooperative banking model. See full declaration at www.icba.coop
Recent News
ICA Digest 63 Russian Edition
The Russian edition of ICA Digest 63, September/October 2008 is now available.
New address for Cooperatives Europe
Cooperatives Europe, the European region of the ICA, has moved to a new address: Cooperatives Europe asbl, European House of Co-operatives, Avenue Milcamps 105, 1030 Brussels, Belgium. Tel. + 32 2 743 10 33 -- Fax +32 2 743 10 39
ICA Digest Issue 63 Sept/Oct 2008
 The English language edition of ICA Digest ,Issue 63, Sept/Oct 2008 is now available online.This issue focuses on climate change and how co-operatives are making efforts to reduce emissions and promote sustainability. We feature a selection of examples of how both producer and consumer co-operatives tackle climate change. There is a report on the International Day of Co-operatives whose theme was climate change. The global co-operative trade fair is also given prominence in this issue. Events at the trade fair will include this year's Global 300 listing and a seminar on renewable energy. We also report on key regional events in the Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific.
ICA Central Office (Geneva) has new phone number
The ICA Central Office has a new main telephone number - +41 22 929 88 38 - replacing +41 22 929 88 88. The direct telephone numbers of ICA Central Office staff remains unchanged. See Geneva staff listing at www.ica.coop/ica/secretariat.html
ICA continues its lobbying on International Accounting Standards
ICA continues to monitor and contribute to the discussions on potential changes to international accounting standards and their impact on co-operatives. See the latest letter to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the other 87 comments to the IASB consultation. Also see ICA's previous letters to European and US accounting standard boards.
Re-launch of the ICA Africa website www.icaafrica.coop
This is an important milestone in the restructuring of ICA Africa. The website will give more visibility to ICA Africa by providing information on regional office activities as well as include news feeds to track media coverage of the African co-operative movement.
ICA Director-General visits the ICA EXPO 2008 exhibition site in Portugal
Mr. Iain Macdonald, Director-General of the International Co-operative Alliance visited Lisbon on 5-6 August to meet with the ICA Expo team and review progress for the Trade Fair and related events. Accompanied by ICA's Deputy Director-General, Ms. Maria-Elena Chavez Hertig, the ICA officials visited the venue of the Trade Fair and related meetings as well as the hotels selected for participants of the fair. ICA Expo is expecting participants from over 50 countries, 150 co-operatives, 1,000 co-operators and 15,000 visitors.
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Featured Articles
Featured Member:Agricultores Federados Argentinos Sociedad Cooperativa Limitada (AFA S.C.L.) of Argentina
- Published 08/17/2008
- Member Profiles
 Agricultores Federados Argentinos Sociedad Cooperativa Limitada (AFA S.C.L.) of Argentina member of the ICA since June 2008, principally providing marketing facilitities at the national level and exports cereals, oilseeds and other agricultural and livestock production. However, it also provides a wide range of services including the supply of agricultural inputs and facilitation of access to credit and financial services including insurance for members, provision of consumer goods for its members and employees; the purchase or leasing agricultural land for research and other activities; construction activities for its members and industries, etc.. AFA also liaises with authorities on member concerns including issues such as rural electrification, infrastructure development and agricultural policy. The society has 25,700 individual members and was responsible for 3.65% of total grain production in Argentina. It provided 4.45% of the national soy production and 3.06% of wheat production in 2007. AFA celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2007. More info: www.afascl.com
ICAEXPO News
- Published 07/19/2008
- Development
 The Co-operative Organization of the Portuguese speaking countries (OCPLP) is organising its 8th meeting at the ICA Expo (October 23/25). The OCPLP is an NGO that gathers co-operatives, associations and other organisations interested in the co-operative movement of all the Portuguese speaking countries - Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guine-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, St. Tome and Prince, East Timor. The OCPLP will gather at the ICA Expo co-operatives that can not afford to have their own booth but wish to participate, specially co-operatives from African countries. The OCPLP will also have a special program on the 24th and 25th of October consisting of - "The fair trade as a tool for the lusophone development" and "Co-operatives in the lusophone world - the challenge of globalization." Register to attend - http://www.icaexpo.coop
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Regional offices
Thematic Committees
Sectoral organisations
Related Sites
 Global 300 : an ICA initiative -
Includes the full list of the world's top co-operatives and mutual businesses
 Read the latest at icanews.coop
 ICA Expo 2008 is for co-operatives and their organisations to participate in a unique trade fair - drawing attention to the quality of co-operative products and services, 23-25 October 2008, Lisbon, Portugal.
 Global Co-operative Campaign: Co-operating out of poverty
 Visit the ICA Youth network site
 Register a .coop internet domain name
Featured Pages
The Director-General's Page. Iain Macdonald was appointed Director-General of the ICA in September 2002. The Director-General's Page includes monthly reports and presentations. The most recent presentation was on 24 July 2008 to ICA Americas on "Convenience and scope of social responsibility as public policy." Read also the DG's calendar for the next few months.
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Events 2008
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