An Assessment of Agricultural Cooperatives: Historical Perspectives, Challenges and Opportunities For Socially and Historically Disadvantaged, Minority, And Small-Scale Farmers

Abstract

A cooperative is an economically attractive model that allows its members to be owners and users who share profits equally. Thus, the cooperative is considered a successful model to use for socially and historically disadvantaged, minority, and small-scale farmers. An agricultural cooperative empowers such farmers to increase their bargaining power in the marketplace, reduce production and transaction costs, expand current marketing opportunities, and establish new markets that may not be otherwise accessible to an individual producer. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to assess agricultural cooperatives. It discusses nine items that closely examine the appertaining issues related to agricultural cooperatives. It concludes with three key recommendations. The first is a mechanism to support newly formed agricultural cooperatives. The second is free access to agricultural education for agricultural cooperative members. The third and final is public recognition of well-performing agricultural cooperatives to encourage them to keep up the hard work