112 



NCBfl 



National Cooperative Business Association 



STATEMENT OF TESTIMONY 

 - by 



RUSSELL C. NOTAR 



PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 



NATIONAL COOPERATIVE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 



to the 



HOUSE AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AGRICULTURE AND HUNGER 



and the 

 HOUSE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON INFORMATION, 

 JUSTICE AND AGRICULTURE 



JOINT HEARING ON THE FOREIGN AGRICULTURE SERVICE 

 November 10, 1993 



I want to thank the Chairmen and the members of these two 

 subcommittees for this opportunity to appear here today and share 

 with you the perspective eind the experiences of the National 

 Cooperative Business Association . . . NCBA . . . relative to the 

 Foreign Agriculture Service. 



The National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) is a 

 national, cross- industry membership and trade association 

 representing cooperatives- -over 100 million Americans and 45,000 

 businesses ranging in size from small consumer cooperatives to 

 businesses included in the Fortune 500. Founded in 1916, NCSA's 

 membership includes cooperative businesses in the fields of 

 housing, health care, finance, insurance, child care, agricultural 

 marketing and supply, rural utilities eind consumer goods and 

 services as well as state and national associations of 

 cooperatives. 



We were knowta for many years as the Cooperative League of the 

 USA. In fact, we are still known as CLUSA in other covmtries 

 around the world, where NCBA promotes and supports cooperatives 

 through training and technical assistance programs. 



We operate overseas through our International Development 

 Division, which has an annual volume of about $8 million in 

 programs, and through CBI, Cooperative Business International, our 

 for-profit, trading arm. 



We pursue international cooperative development by succesfully 

 negotiating partnerships with the U.S. Agency for International 

 Development (AID) and other donors. Cooperatives are 

 demonstrations of democracy in action, but they are run as 

 businesses, meeting an economic need, and result in improved 

 incomes for their members as examples of sustainable development -- 

 development that continues after the project is completed and donor 

 funds have been depleted. 



Representing America's Cooperative Business Community 



1401 New York Avenue. N.W. • Suite 1100 'Washington, D.C. 20005-2160 

 (202) 638-6222 • Fax (202) 638-1374 



