Download - Agricultural co-operatives their role in feeding the world Mike Perry, Plunkett Foundation
Agricultural co-operatives their role in feeding the world
Mike Perry, Plunkett Foundation
1 billion members
1 million co-operatives
Secure livelihoods for 3 billion people
100m employees
Largest 300 co-operatives equivalent to the 9th largest national economy
Co-operatives worldwide
Half of 300 largest co-ops are agricultural
In Europe for example, co-ops have 60% share in marketing and processing of agricultural commodities and a 50% market share in agricultural inputs
Co-ops range from the very large to the very small
Agricultural co-operatives
UK co-operative movement
5,993 co-operatives with 13.5m members
Between 2008 and 2011 the co-operative economy has grown by 23%
Half of the 100 largest UK co-operatives are agricultural
241 agricultural co-ops, turnover of over £3bn
Horace’s co-operative approach• Economic change is the best way to secure
social change
• We have to inspire communities that co-operation can help solve their problems
• Developing co-operatives is a team activity
• The role of the state is to support not to do
• Keeping a co-op rooted in its community is the greatest and most important challenge
• See every aspect of rural development as being connected
Why co-operation?
“What one can’t, many
can.”
Why farmers co-operate?
Reducing input costs
Maximising prices of farm products
To access better technology
Knowledge, addressing increasing volatility, adapting to change, access to finance, informal co-operation, co-operating with their communities.
Better Farming, Better Business, Better
LivingBetter Farming - Technical
Better Business - Economic
Better Living - Social
“And the dreams he had for his own country went to the far ends of the earth where they were better appreciated.”
Elizabeth Fingall
The Dunsany Declaration for Rural Co-operative Development
“The Dunsany Group believe there are important choices facing rural communities: Do they rely to an increasing extent on a dominant and powerful global economic model to improve their livelihoods; OrDo they take further and deeper control themselves of many of the issues they face through well-established and successful co-operative options.”
“The world will face unprecedented and urgent challenges over the next 50 years that require immediate action.
In an increasingly urbanised world, over 3 billion people will continue to live and work in rural areas, while the whole of the global population will be reliant on the rural landscape for resources including food and energy and water.
Around the world co-operatives as principled and value-driven organisations have a huge impact on rural life.
Significant and compelling evidence exists demonstrating that co-operation leads to a more democratised economy and society at a local, national and transnational level alongside a wide range of other benefits.
Co-operative approaches enable rural people and rural communities to meet the increasingly urgent challenges facing the world while meeting their own everyday needs and improving their own lives.”
The role of Governments
To support, not to do
Provide access to the best technical advances
To provide level legislative and policy playing field
Dedicated co-operative legislation
To acknowledge the role that co-operatives have in building a better world
The role the co-op movementEducate and advocate
Inspire the next generation
Demonstrate impact
Co-op to co-op knowledge transfer
Maintain and develop community roots
Build understanding
Finance the future
Food and Agriculture Organization of the
UN“FAO supports the efforts of the Dunsany Group and the vision for rural co-operative development articulated in the Dunsany Declaration. FAO stands ready to work with other stakeholders to advance this important agenda.”
To conclude...
Co-operatives in their many forms have a huge impact on feeding the world.
However, there is potential for them to do much more.
Thank youwww.plunkett.co.uk
01993 810730
@PlunkettFoundat @Mike_Plunkett