CDF Canada is an international development organization building prosperity in communities around the world.  We work with local partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America to establish and grow community-owned co-operatives to help people achieve more prosperous, self-reliant lives.  In 2017 alone we impacted 213,000 women, men and children by focusing on food security, community and economic development, financial inclusion, local leadership capacity building, climate change adaptation and resilience, peace and development and gender equality. 

As new nations emerged from the old Colonial world order after WWII, Canadian co-operative leaders felt a renewed commitment to use the co-operative model to help communities around the globe move out of poverty. It was a radical notion at a time when missionary and charity work dominated such outreach.  Formed in 1947, the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada soon became the focus for Canadian efforts<