CDF and CHS Foundation Make Widely Used Cooperative Education Publications Available in Spanish

WASHINGTON, DC (July 26, 2018) – Thanks to to the work of The Cooperative Foundation and the financial support of the CHS Foundation, two widely used USDA cooperative education publications are now available in Spanish. “How to Start a Cooperative” and “Co-ops 101” provide insight into the cooperative way of organizing and operating a business and can be used as a framework for starting a cooperative.

The Cooperative Foundation was awarded a grant from the CHS Foundation’s Cooperative Education Grants Program to identify existing English language publications for translation into Spanish. The Cooperative Foundation sought input from cooperative developers and educators working with Spanish speaking populations to identify publications for translation. These two USDA Rural Development – Cooperative Programs’ publications are the first to be translated.

“These two publications are very important for co-op education and development,” said Jim Wadsworth, USDA agricultural economist, “Over the years we’ve been asked for our publications to be translated into Spanish. There is a high degree of involvement by native Spanish speakers in cooperatives.” These translations won’t just be seen stateside, according to Wadsworth, “Our co-op publications are read all over the world. They’re used in South America, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, among many other places, and it will be nice to give people the option to have them in Spanish.”

USDA’s Cooperative Programs, within Rural Development’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service, is a major source for cooperative information, statistics, and research. The agency provides many publications, reports, statistical analyses, and educational materials for cooperatives and those interested in cooperatives.

The translations were done by Caracol Language Cooperative, a worker cooperative located in New York City. The designs of the Spanish translations are also compliant with the Rehabilitation Act section 508, meaning they are accessible to people with disabilities. The documents are free and available on the USDA Rural Development website.

The CHS Foundation (www.chsinc.com/stewardship) is the major giving entity of CHS Inc. (NASDAQ: CHSCP), the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods company. As a part of the CHS stewardship focus, the CHS Foundation is committed to investing in the future of rural America, agriculture and cooperative businesses through education and leadership development.

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About the Cooperative Development Foundation

The Cooperative Foundation’s mission is to expand and enhance cooperatives through research, teaching, extension, innovation, and development.  To accomplish its mission, the foundation sponsors educational programs, serves as an educational resource, and supports organizations involved in cooperative education and development.  The Cooperative Development Foundation, Washington, DC, provides grant administration to The Cooperative Foundation.

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For more information, please contact:

Cassandra Durand

cdurand@ncba.coop