A New Era of Global Cooperation: ICOPED Joins the International Cooperative Alliance

ICOPED Building (Nathaniel B. Tablante Hall) at the College of Economics and Management, UPLB

As the world celebrates the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 and the International Day of Cooperatives on July 5, the Institute of Cooperatives and Bio-Enterprise Development (ICOPED) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) proudly announces its official admission as an Associate Member of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) this year.
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The ICA, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is the global apex body for cooperatives, uniting, representing, and serving around 3 million cooperatives and 1 billion cooperative members worldwide across diverse sectors and regions. ICOPED’s membership in the ICA marks a major milestone for the institute.

Joining ICA opens new pathways for ICOPED to engage with cooperative leaders, researchers, and advocates from around the world. As an ICA member, ICOPED gains access to global best practices, policy discussions, thematic committees, and sectoral networks that support the advancement of cooperatives in agriculture, health, banking, housing, industry, and beyond.

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ICOPED Faculty, Researchers, and Staff

"This membership reflects our commitment to strengthening cooperative education, research, and development in alignment with international cooperative principles," said Dr. Karen Q. Custodio, ICOPED Director. "It allows us to bring local insights into the global cooperative dialogue, while also bringing home ideas and innovations from other countries to enrich our programs."

​ICOPED is committed to contributing to global knowledge-sharing by participating in ICA-led initiatives, generating new cooperative data, and sharing updates on policy, education, and innovation from the Philippines.

Notably, ICOPED is currently the only academic institution in the Philippines that is a member of the ICA. As we honor this year’s International Day of Cooperatives, ICOPED celebrates not only a new international alliance, but also a renewed commitment to building a more inclusive, sustainable, and cooperative future.

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