May 30, 2019

The Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins International Institute for Cooperatives participated in the 101st Congress of the Confédération nationale de la mutualité, de la coopération et du crédit agricoles (CNMCCA) in Paris. The CNMCCA is a professional agricultural organization and professional organization for agricultural professions, and participates in the representation of the interests of mutualist enterprises and agricultural cooperatives in France, including Groupama, MSA, Coop de France and Crédit Agricole.

The theme of the Congress was “Promoting the Cooperative and Mutual Entrepreneurial Model”, with several presentations by entrepreneurs, cooperative directors, and other specialists in the cooperative and mutual sector.

Among them, our director, Mr. Eric Brat, made a presentation on “Innovation as a Lever of Competitiveness”, in which he presented the results of the three studies carried out by the Institute on the theme of innovation in cooperatives. The first study was published in 2016, entitled “Innovation – Priorities and Practices in Cooperatives“, the second was published in 2018: “Innovation – Reinforcing the Local Presence of Cooperatives and Mutuals“, and the third will be published in the summer of 2019: “Innovation – The Cooperative Enterprise by and for Millennials”.