Professional associations

A learned society (/ˌlɜːrˈnɪd/; also known as a learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession or a group of related disciplines such as the arts. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election. Most learned societies are non-profit organisations, and many are professional associations.

Inter-professional associations have been defined as private organizations, recognized by the State, that group together participants from all stages of the same agricultural commodity chain (filière in French), with the objectives of elaborating policies, guaranteeing equity among the members, facilitating the improvement of the performance of the chain and defending the interests of the members

A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is usually a nonprofit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession and the public interest. The roles of these professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in a learned occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation;" also a body acting "to safeguard the public interest;" organizations which "represent the interest of the professional practitioners," and so "act to maintain their own privileged and powerful position as a controlling body