Cooperatives operate in every sector of our economy and in urban, suburban and rural areas. For public financing and oversight programs, the government has focused until recently on cooperatives in rural areas. The USDA’s Rural Cooperative Development Grant is the only government program dedicated to cooperatives. While this is a testament to the strength of our agriculture cooperative sector, it means that cooperatives need more comprehensive publicly financed co-op development opportunities for urban areas, even when they are looking to USDA for funding opportunities.
NCBA secured funding for research on the economic impact of all types of cooperatives [link to research section of website]. This is a good first step toward moving the government to understand the value and need to support all cooperative sectors operating in all parts of the country. In the meantime, the following links provide information about the programs that benefit cooperatives.
