Cooperatives — businesses or organizations that are jointly owned and democratically controlled by their members — are an important piece in the push toward locally led development. They offer a grassroots platform for individuals to collectively address their needs and goals.
The International Cooperative Research Group, or ICRG, the research and learning arm of the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council, or OCDC, conducted a series of country studies in their What Difference Do Cooperatives Make research initiative. The studies showed that people who belong to cooperatives tend to be better off financially, have a greater sense of well-being, and have greater social capital, said Judith Hermanson, director of the International Cooperative Research Group.
OCDC ICRG is working to support the impact and uptake of cooperatives with rigorous, locally led research that bridges the gap between theory and practice. “Too often, data is collected and presented in a way that does not easily bridge to somebody being able actually to use it. Involving people and the key stakeholders will definitely make data more accessible and applicable,” Hermanson said.
Watch the video to hear more from Hermanson about how evidence-based development can be strengthened through cooperatives and data.
Dig into Roots of Change, a series examining the push toward locally led development.
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