Since their inception over one hundred years ago, cooperatives have become widespread throughout
the world, and continue to play an important function in promoting international economic
development and social justice for the poor. Cooperatives are a common form of social enterprise
found in developing countries. Examples include agricultural marketing cooperatives, which market and
distribute its members' products, while agricultural supply cooperatives, provide inputs into the
agricultural process; both are examples of social enterprises promoted in value chain development and
Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4M). Self-Help Groups (SHGs) comprised of low incomewomen,
and popular in South Asia, are frequently organized into cooperatives to support a variety of
their members' interests related to commerce, health and education. Credit Unions are another example
of a cooperative found tied to economic development micro-financial service programs, particularly
across West Africa, Latin America, and countries of the former Yugoslavia. In the UK a slight variation
on the cooperative, called mutual organizations or "societies" are commonly associated with social
enterprise. Unlike a true cooperative, mutual members usually do not contribute to the capital of the
social enterprise company by direct investment, instead mutuals are frequently funded by philanthropic
sources or the government