On December 18, 2009, the United Nations General Assembly, with the support of the Government of Canada, proclaimed 2012 the UN International Year of Co-operatives.  The UN resolution, which was entitled "Co-operatives in Social Development", recognized the diversity of the co-operative movement around the world and urged governments to take measures aimed at creating a supportive environment for the development of co-operatives. Canada's co-operative sector is urging the federal government to implement three initaitives as a legacy of the International Year.  These initiatives would be a partnership between the federal government and the co-operative sector which would assure that new, emerging and established co-operatives would have access to the financing they need to develop and expand. These initiatives are:

CCA Vice-President Jill Kelly (right) and staff member Erin Mackie (centre) discuss the 2012 legacy projects with Nina Grewal, Member of Parliament for Fleetwood-Port Kells (BC) during CCA's Lobby Day in November 2011.

1.  A Co-operative Investment Plan (CIP) which would provide a tax credit for members or employees of agricultural or employee-owned co-operative businesses who invest in their own co-ops. This would be a partnership between citizens who invest their own money and the federal government, which would provide the tax incentive.  Government monies (in the form of tax exemptions) would not be committed unless co-op members and employees first invest their own funds.

This would be similar to the current plan in Quebec, where $393 million was invested by members in eligible co-operatives from 1985 to 2006. The cost of a similar plan at the federal level is estimated to be $17-20 million per year and would generate some $120 million per year of new investment across Canada. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture endorsed the CIP as its number one priority in its 2008 Budget proposal. CLICK HERE for more information.

2.  A co-operative development fund, which would be a repayable loan fund rather than a source of grant funding. Investments made under this fund would be based on an analysis of a co-operative's business plan and its capacity to pay back loans on the negotiated terms and over a specified period of time.

This new fund needs a one-time-only investment of $70 million from the federal government and after that it will be self-sustaining. The Fund would also seek additional financing from the co-operative  sector. It would work like the Arctic Co-operative Development Fund, which was capitalized by the federal government in 1986 with $10 million and is now worth over $30 million.  CLICK HERE for more information.

3. A renewed and permanent Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI) program. This program, which began in 2003 and was renewed in 2009, provides project funding and advisory services to new and emerging co-ops. It is administered by the co-operative sector with funding from the federal government.  The current CDI program is scheduled to end in March 2013. CLICK HERE for more information.