About Us

The Institute of Cooperatives and Bio-Enterprise Development (ICOPED) is an academic unit under the College of Economics and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños that provides a strong focus on the development of cooperatives and social enterprises as viable sustainable enterprises through its academic, research and extension programs. ICOPED's vision and mission are consistent with the United Nations' framework emphasizing "cooperatives' contribution to socio-economic development particularly in poverty reduction, employment generation, and social integration." Established in 1960, the strengths of ICOPED are rooted in its decades of relevant experience in professionalizing existing and future cooperative leaders through its academic and capacity building programs; advancing cooperatives as a discipline and advocating for continued support for the sector through its research and policy advocacy initiatives; and building multistakeholder linkages and networks to create a greater impact and foster sustainable growth of the cooperative movement both locally and globally.