The ministry's Deputy for Cooperative Talent and Competitiveness Development, Destry Anna Sari, stated that the village cooperative development program has received positive support from various institutions, including a planned official cooperation with the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
“The MoU with ICA is expected to reactivate cooperative membership in the future and increase synergy among cooperatives,” she said at a seminar in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Support has also come from other entities, including the Cooperative Development Foundation and Canada’s Desjardins Group. She believes this collaboration can help the village cooperatives operate more efficiently.
Sari explained that the ICA understands the challenges in establishing the village cooperatives, and therefore, its support is expected to complement the development of the cooperative business model. This includes providing operational tools that have been tested in various countries and adapted to local conditions.
She underlined that one of the focuses of developing village cooperatives is fulfilling the captive market to maintain a balance between production needs and market demand.
This approach is expected to accelerate business processes, particularly the consolidation of agricultural needs, which is currently not optimal.
“The Red and White Village Cooperative will play a role in meeting the needs of the village and its surrounding areas, as well as supporting various social programs such as the Family Hope Program (PKH) and other social assistance,” she remarked.
According to her, the village cooperatives are being prepared to manage these programs, which will give them significant potential in fulfilling local needs and, in the future, carrying out exports through a learning network strengthened by the MoU.
She further noted that the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 is an opportunity for countries worldwide to reaffirm the role of cooperatives in addressing issues related to food security, climate pressure, social inequality, and the future of rural economies.
Sari affirmed that Indonesia is responding to these challenges through the Red and White Village Cooperatives as a national initiative that advances community participation, digital governance, and competitive local institutions.
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Translator: Aria Ananda, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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