The aim of the research is to collect data not currently available in summary form. We believe that the data will:

• demonstrate that co-operatives are important to developing economies.
• increase visibility of the co-operative business model in the context of national economic development.
• provide more evidence to help argue the co-operative case.

The project has the potential to help drive and coordinate global, regional and national initiatives on data collection and evidence based policy and advocacy. Combined with the Global 300 we expect it to prove to be a very powerful communications tool to advance the cause of co-operatives.

The methodology will be the same as for the Global 300, i.e. ranking on turnover (highest level
of audited consolidation). Using the same methodology will ensure that we have a consistent approach to our inclusion of the various data, level of audited aggregation etc. We aim to collect data on the twenty biggest co-operatives in each country in terms of turnover. This will be based on audited accounts where possible, using national/regional associations and government departments as a primary source.

We aim to collect the following information for the Developing 300 project:

• Name of organisation
• Co-operative/mutual structure
• Country of origin
• GCIS (industry classification system)
• Year of establishment
• Turnover FY 2005 in USD
• Assets FY 2005
• Website address
• Where available we will also input data for FY 2004 & 2006.

For the purpose of our initial Developing 300 project, we have chosen 8 countries from the Americas region, 10 countries from Asia, and 12 from Africa.

Americas: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay.
Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam.
Africa: Cape Verde, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda.

The 2007 Global 300 list will be launched at the ICA’s General Assembly in Singapore on the 18-
19 October 2007. The launch will be part of an integrated session of case studies drawing on best practices from within the Global and Developing 300s. The progress made to date with the Developing 300 Project will also be introduced at the General Assembly. The main message at this launch is that not only are co-operative and mutual businesses a globally significant economic force but they operate to a set of values and principles which drive their business model creating a real alternative to for-profit businesses.

In addition, Developing 300 project will showcase how co-operatives in the developing world are responsible for so much more than the main sector businesses in which they operate. To these
co-operatives CSR is an economic necessity, not an exercise in public relations.

The Developing 300 is a work in progress. The lists in this document are based on responses received to date and are neither final or definitive at this stage.