22 U.S.C. § 2151i: Development and use of cooperatives

Technical assistance to low income farmers who form and develop member-owned cooperatives for farm supplies, marketing and value-added processing. The promotion of national credit union systems through credit union-to-credit union technical assistance that strengthens the ability of low income people and micro-entrepreneurs to save and to have access to credit for their own economic advancement. The support of rural electric and telecommunication cooperatives for access for rural people and villages that lack reliable electric and telecommunications services. The promotion of community-based cooperatives which provide employment opportunities and important services such as health clinics, self-help shelter, environmental improvements, group-owned businesses, and other activities. It is in the mutual economic interest of the United States and peoples in developing and transitional countries to promote cooperatives and credit unions. Self-help institutions, including cooperatives and credit unions, provide enhanced opportunities for people to participate directly in democratic decision-making for their economic and social benefit through ownership and control of business enterprises and through the mobilization of local capital and savings and such organizations should be fully utilized in fostering free market principles and the adoption of self-help approaches to development. agricultural cooperatives that provide a means to lift low income farmers and rural people out of poverty and to better integrate them into national economies; credit union networks that serve people of limited means through safe savings and by extending credit to families and microenterprises; electric and telephone cooperatives that provide rural customers with power and telecommunications services essential to economic development; housing and community-based cooperatives that provide low income shelter and work opportunities for the urban poor; and mutual and cooperative insurance companies that provide risk protection for life and property to under-served populations often through group policies.” international cooperative principles, democratic governance and involvement of women and ethnic minorities for economic and social development; self-help mobilization of member savings and equity and retention of profits in the community, except for those programs that are dependent on donor financing; market-oriented and value-added activities with the potential to reach large numbers of low income people and help them enter into the mainstream economy; strengthening the participation of rural and urban poor to contribute to their country’s economic development; and utilization of technical assistance and training to better serve the member-owners.”