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

Mike.perry@plunkett.co.uk

@PlunkettFoundat @Mike_Plunkett

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