Transcript APPUNTI PER INTERVENTO UNIV BO SU AGRICOLTURA

The Role and the Dimension
of Agricultural Co-operatives
Around the World
VII AIEA2 Congress
May 28th 2008 - Bologna
Ivano Barberini
President International Cooperative Alliance
Hunger and Food Sector
• “Today more than 850 million people go to
bed at nigth not sure if they will have enough
to eat tomorrow” (WB)
• Main Issues:
- the lack of purchasing power.
- the recent food crisis
- the lack of an effective agro-industrial
food sector and of an effective retailing in
many countries.
Developing Countries:
Rural and Human Development
• The most serious effect of poverty is loss of
farmers’ dignity and self-worth.
• The human development results from social,
political, economic and moral empowerment of
farmers
• Co-operative principles of self-help restore
farmers’dignity, initiative for change, and hope
for the future.
Agricultural Co-operation
Around the World
• 400 millions associated farmers
• 50% of the world agricultural
production goes through the activity
of co-operatives.
• Four out of five worldwide largest
co-operatives are agricultural cooperatives.
The five worldwide
largest co-operative
• 1° Zen-Noh –National Federation of Agricultural
Co-operatives- (1948) – Japan – Turnover: $55.5
billion.
• 2° Zenkyoren – National Mutual Insurance
Federation of Agricultural Co-operatives – (1951)
Japan – Turnover: $48 billion.
• 3° Crédit Agricole Group – (1897) France –
Turnover: $ 32,9 billion.
• 4° Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company- (1925),
USA – Turnover: $22.6 billion.
• 5° NACF- National Agricultural Cooperative
Federation – (1961) Korea – Turnover: $22.7 billion.
Examples of Agricultural Co-ops
• Japan: huge development of agricultural and
fishering co-operation
• Norway: co-operatives manage 99% of the
country’s milk production;
• Netherlands: 75% of agricultural market
• Finland: 74% of meat production
• Korea: 45% of total agricultural market
KOREA- Co-operative Event with
100,000 Farmers
Example of Agricultural Co-ops
• S. Caterina (Brazil): 58 co-operatives with
62 thousand members and 14 thousand
employees
• Colombia: examples of community cooperatives
• Israel: 250 Kibbutz, as communities
based on agricultural business.
Agricultural Co-ops in India
Agricultural and Credit co-ops: 160,826, with
176 million members:
In the present context co-ops have greater
responsibilities:
a) step up their network of services to ensure
sustainable growth in agriculture production.
b) generate potentials for rural employment in
view of shifting policy of the government.
INDIA - Share of Co-ops in
National Economy (examples)
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Rural Network (villages covered) ...
Sugar produced
Wheat procurement
Oil marketed
Fertiliser production
Animal feed production/supply
Agriculture credit disbursed
by Co-ops
100%
46%
33%
49%
26%
50%
38%
Agricultural Coops in China
• 154,000 community multi-functional
service cooperatives, covering 24%
villages all over China
• Provide market intelligence, skill
training, cultural entertainment, health
care and other important services
Agricultural Coops in China
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1110 processing enterprises
3369 marketing enterprises
Supply 70% of fertilizer in China
175,000 chained distribution outlets
1567 chained enterprises for distribution of
daily necessities
Agricultural Coops in China (2)
• Supply and marketing cooperatives (SMC) are
an important force in the progress of urban
and rural economy in China.
• SMCs play an essential role in Rural
Sustainable Development
• Primary SMCs provide technology guidance on
scientific utilization of ferilizer and pesticide.
• Set up 37,000 crop hospitals, 135,000 fertilize
and pesticide distribution outlets.
Brazil - Agro-Industrial Co-ops
IMCA - Colombia – community cooperative for the fight against
poverty and for independence
SOVRANITY – AUTONOMY on
SEEDS
NO TO “PATENTING”
LIFE
NO TO DEPENDANCE
Co-operatives in New Zealand
• Dairy - 95% - Buy, process, package, market export
• Meat - 70% - Buy, slaughter, package, market mostly export
• Fruitpackers - 50% - Receive, sort, package, market
mostly export
• Rural trading societies – 50% Farm supplies
• Fertiliser - 70% import , process, distribute, market
• Rural insurance - 30% - specialist for rural
• Grain growers - grow grain (mostly maize), harvest,
process, market
Co-operatives in IRAN
• There are about 2,443 RURAL co-operatives all
over the country in 57,000 villages
• Beside rural cooperatives, 1,860 Agricultural
Cooperatives have been established with
986,968 member
• Rural women cooperatives: in confirmation of
the main role of women in agricultural
development there are about 155 rural women
cooperatives with 31,814 members all over the
country
Iran: Support to Co-operatives by Central
Organization for Rural Co-ops (CORC)
• Empowering the members and organizations of
co-ops and their unions.
• Legislation and policy reforms for facilitating
cooperatives businesses.
• Storing agricultural products in order to prevent
farmers losses
• Strengthen and reform the transportation system
for agricultural products.
• Auditing agricultural and rural cooperative
societies.
Co-ops in Palestine
• Members of livestock co-ops raise sheeps, goats,
cows and chickens.
• In Gaza, there is one fishery co-operative that has
around 400 members.
• Today, there are around 150 olive oil presses all
over Palestine. Around forty of these presses are
co-operatively owned and managed.
• Consultancy and extension of services to
participating farmers by the Agricultural
Cooperative Union’s.
Agricultural Co-ops in the US (1)
• There are more than 3,000 agricultural cooperatives whose members include a majority of
America’s two million farmers and ranchers.
• These co-ops play a vital role in the nation’s food
system. Supply of high-quality food, often under
nationally recognized brand names.
• Agricultural co-ops represent a multibillion-dollar
industry that employs more than 220,000 people.
Agricultural Co-ops in the US(2)
• Co-ops increase the marketing capability and
production efficiency of agricultural
producers, including many small businesses
that otherwise would not be able to compete
in the global economy.
• Today, the Dairy Farmers of America serves
22,000 dairy producers in 43 states, coast to
coast and border to border.
• On January 1, 1998, four major dairy
cooperatives from across America's
heartland combined to create DFA.
Agricultural Co-ops in the US(3)
Agricultural co-operatives are involved in
several different types of services.
• Marketing co-operatives: - handle, process
and market virtually every commodity grown
and produced in the United States.
• Bargaining co-operatives help growers to
obtain reasonable prices for the commodities
they produce.
• Supply co-operatives manufacture, sell, or
distribute farm supplies.
In conclusion
World Bank Development Report 2008
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Agriculture has special power in reducing poverty
More and better investiments in Agriculture
Continuing reforms are still needed
Agriculture and environment are inseparable
Capturing the benefits of GMOs for the Poor
Meeting growing demand for agriculture through
innovations in science and technology
• New approaches to input subsidies
• Strengthen governance to support agriculture
• Co-operatives: fighting poverty together
The Need to Increase Productivity
• More and better agricultural research.
• Improved rural networks.
• Investments in human resources, markets
and institutions.
• Clearly defined property rights to improve
natural resource management.
• Better tools for risk management.
Fair Trade
• The emergence of the fair trade concept is
the opportunity for co-operative
development.
• The co-operative movement and its
development partners should use the full
potential of fair trade in order to improve the
living conditions of small producers and to
create income generating activities
Potentials of Co-operatives
• Economic growth can effectively reduce
poverty only when accompanied by a
comprehensive program for the participatory
social development.
• Co-operative System: can be the most
effective instrument for an economic
development linked to the improvement of
standards of life and the change of social
structure.