Advocacy

NCBA CLUSA will request $17 million for USAID Cooperative Development Program during Congressional hearing

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Dairy farmers in Madagascar are putting the 7 Cooperative Principles into action with support from NCBA CLUSA’s USAID-funded Cooperative Development Project.

NCBA CLUSA president and CEO Doug O’Brien will testify at a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs this week, making the case for increased funding for the international affairs budget.

This week’s hearing will take place on Thursday, March 12 at 8:30 am in Room 2358-C of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washinton, DC. A livestream of the proceedings, including O’Brien’s testimony, will be available here.

On behalf of NCBA CLUSA and its stakeholders, O’Brien will request $17 million for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Cooperative Development Program (CDP) for Fiscal Year 2021 and urge the committee to appropriate no less than $60 billion for International Affairs and related activities.

The testimony comes in response to the Administration’s proposed deep cuts to the International Affairs budget for the fourth year in a row—funding that is critical to demonstrate U.S. leadership on the world stage, grow the global economy and advance national security interests.

CDP projects apply cooperative principles—such as democratic governance, member inclusion, self-reliance and community-mindedness—to address the challenges of food insecurity, health, access to savings and credit, economic depression and political instability for millions of people.

Through this program, cooperative businesses and their communities continue to thrive long after development work ends and, collectively, continue to improve the economic mobility of millions of people around the world, ultimately contributing to the safety and prosperity of Americans.

Through 2023, NCBA CLUSA’s USAID-funded CDP project, Creating an Environment for Cooperative Expansion, is working with local governments, cooperative development organizations, private-sector partners and other stakeholders to identify ways to strengthen cooperatives and the enabling environment for cooperatives in Peru, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. See how dairy farmers in Madagascar are putting the 7 Cooperative Principles into action in the video below. And read about how CDP is empowering women in their economy in this story from Kenya.

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