Delegates from agricultural cooperatives from various countries were invited to this summit, including India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Mogolia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Malaysia. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Udai Shanker Awasthi, CEO of IFFCO, and by Mr. Balvinder Singh Nakai, Chairman of IFFCO in India.

During the meeting, delegates discussed key agricultural challenges in Asia. Climate change was one of the main topics on the agenda, along with soil and water management. The fostering of greater business relationships among cooperative members through e-commerce to offer more competitive prices and open new market opportunities was also an important discussion point.

Monique Leroux was invited to present Desjardins Group to the delegates. She also talked about her key objectives as Chair of the Board, President and CEO such as providing excellent products and services to members and growing the business. She emphasized the importance of cooperation among cooperatives, the key role the International Co-operative Alliance could play in this regard, and how the International Summit of Cooperatives (October 11-13, 2016, 3^rd edition) is designed to create business development and partnership opportunities.

“During this important meeting, I had the opportunity to share with many delegates the program that I propose for the Alliance. I received very positive feedback on the three priorities I am putting forward: engagement, leadership and growth. People liked the fact that I put grassroots cooperatives, sectors and regions at the center of the Alliance’s work. They also appreciated the solid experience I have with multisector cooperative organizations, such as the CQCM (apex in Quebec) and as the CMC (apex in Canada). I was thrilled and warmly touched by such a strong support for my candidacy”, said Monique Leroux.