The DGRV has been a recognized partner in German development cooperation for over 40 years and is sought after as a specialist organization in all projects relating to the promotion of cooperatives worldwide. These include building sustainable financial systems, supporting sustainable rural development through the promotion of cooperative enterprises, and organizing citizen participation in energy transition projects. The know-how of the German cooperative model is incorporated into numerous developing countries, adapted to country-specific characteristics and the development of effective cooperative systems.
The guiding principle of development work is the United Nations 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cooperatives can make an important contribution to greater sustainability. It is not about short-term profit, but about a long-term perspective. With cooperative self-help, economic, social, and environmental goals can be achieved in line with the SDGs. We firmly believe that global partnerships will lead to greater sustainability.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) develops the guidelines and concepts of German development policy. It determines the long-term strategies of cooperation with the various actors and defines the rules for their implementation. The DGRV's long-term development projects are primarily financed by the BMZ through the social structure promotion instrument.
The Baden-Württemberg Cooperative Association (BWGV) is one of the most important and largest membership-based economic organizations in the Southwest. The BWGV represents medium-sized enterprises from dozens of sectors that share a common denominator: the legal form of the registered cooperative (eG). These include Volksbanks and Raiffeisenbanks as well as Raiffeisen and commercial cooperatives. The BWGV and the cooperatives in Baden-Württemberg are also the initiators and sponsors of the GESTE Foundation.
As early as 1991, the State Parliament and the State of Baden-Württemberg set an important signal with the establishment of the Foundation for Development Cooperation Baden-Württemberg (SEZ), demonstrating that combating poverty and creating future prospects in countries of the Global South is not only a task for the federal government or the international community but also requires action at the state level. The foundation promotes and networks private, municipal, and regional initiatives to improve and deepen development cooperation with countries of the Global South. It thus strengthens the awareness of citizens in Baden-Württemberg of the necessity of development cooperation.
The Fair Trade cooperative WeltPartner has stood for transparent, fair trade with high-quality products since 1988. Worldwide, around 50,000 smallholder families and producers benefit from reliable partnerships on equal footing, fair prices, and premium payments for social projects. (www.weltpartner.de) The GESTE Foundation is currently supporting a project to strengthen the business management of the Burundian coffee cooperative association COCOCA and 18 of its 34 member cooperatives. COCOCA also acts as a marketing center and exports fair-trade organic coffee. Around 11,000 families benefit from sustainably higher incomes through the cooperation.
We Support the GESTE Foundation!
And Many Cooperative Companies and Group Partners More:
Many Thanks to All Donors and Supporters!
