ICMIF Foundation and Microinsurance Network launch global initiative to map mutual, cooperative and community-based microinsurance
ICMIF Foundation and Microinsurance Network launch global initiative to map mutual, cooperative and community-based microinsurance
The ICMIF Foundation and the Microinsurance Network (MIN) have announced a joint initiative to map the landscape of mutual, cooperative and community-based organisations (MCCOs) that provide insurance and informal risk-sharing mechanisms to underserved populations. Beginning in late 2025, to coincide with the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives, the initiative aims to improve understanding of how member-led models support financial resilience, foster trust, and help close the protection gap. Although MCCOs play an important role in inclusive insurance, they remain underrepresented in current data. In the 2024 Landscape of Microinsurance report, fewer than 20 of the 294 participating organisations were identified as MCCOs.
“The silent power of inclusive insurance lies in organisations people trust,” said Sabbir Patel, CEO, ICMIF Foundation (United Kingdom). “Cooperatives and community-based insurers reach populations often overlooked by commercial insurance, providing a safety net that can protect livelihoods, enable recovery and build long-term resilience.” Matthew Genazzini, Executive Director, Microinsurance Network (Luxembourg), added: “Documenting these organisations is critical. By understanding how they operate and the challenges they face, we can strengthen peer learning, inform policy and support the growth of inclusive, community-rooted insurance solutions worldwide.”
The initiative responds to growing evidence that informal and semi-formal risk-sharing systems continue to serve as essential safety nets, particularly in contexts where commercial insurance overlooks low-income communities and where these mechanisms often remain undocumented. As Genazzini explains, “With 3 million cooperatives worldwide serving over 1 billion members, they represent a vast, decentralised network for delivering inclusive financial services, ensuring products are designed with local needs in mind and fostering strong and sustained uptake.”
Through this collaboration, MIN and ICMIFF aim to strengthen representation of mutual microinsurance within global reporting, support knowledge exchange among practitioners and identify opportunities for further project development. The joint report will help identify MCCOs for the 2026 Landscape of Microinsurance and ensure they are better represented in the current data. The MCCO report will be published at the end of 2026 and will provide updated insights into how mutual and community-based approaches can expand inclusive insurance coverage for low-income and vulnerable communities.
Learn more
To learn how cooperatives, mutuals, and community-based self-help organisations are expanding access to insurance for low-income communities, please read the blog Cooperatives and inclusive insurance: Unlocking protection for low-income communities by Sabbir Patel, CEO, The ICMIF Foundation, and Matthew Genazzini, Executive Director, Microinsurance Network.
About MIN
The Microinsurance Network (MIN) is a global non-profit association of organisations and individuals dedicated to promoting inclusive insurance. MIN works to build a world where people of all income levels are more resilient and less vulnerable to everyday and catastrophic risks by improving access to effective risk management tools, including insurance services. The Network produces the Landscape of Microinsurance report, which provides insights into the sector, supporting knowledge sharing and evidence-based decision-making among practitioners worldwide.