Rural Cooperatives

"Provides a cross-country comparison of smallholder agricultural cooperatives in Paraguay, Brazil and Colombia, revealing immense opportunities and challenges for community development, empowerment, and social change"--Provided by publisher.

Compilation of conference papers on the extent to which patterns of relationship in traditional communities can be used as a basis for modern cooperative development in developing countries - covers rural cooperatives, marketing cooperatives, collective economy farming, rural worker interest groups (peasant organisations), social implications, social structures, etc. Bibliography pp. 373 to 385, references and statistical tables. Conference held in brighton 1969 mar 31 to April 3.

With new markets opening up for goods produced by artisans from all parts of the world, craft commercialization and craft industries have become key components of local economies. Now with the emergence of the Fair Trade movement and public opposition to sweatshop labor, many people are demanding that artisans in third world countries not be exploited for their labor. Bringing together case studies from the Americas and Asia, this timely collection of articles addresses the interplay among subsistence activities, craft production, and the global market. It contributes to current debates on economic inequality by offering practical examples of the political, economic, and cultural issues surrounding artisan production as an expressive vehicle of ethnic and gender identity. Striking a balance between economic and ethnographic analyses, the contributors observe what has worked and what hasn't in a range of craft cooperatives and show how some artisans have expanded their entrepreneurial role by marketing crafts in addition to producing them. Among the topics discussed are the accommodation of craft traditions in the global market, fair trade issues, and the emerging role of the anthropologist as a proactive agent for artisan groups. As the gap between rich and poor widens, the fate of subsistence economies seems more and more uncertain. The artisans in this book show that people can and do employ innovative opportunities to develop their talents, and in the process strengthen their ethnic identities. Contents Introduction: Facing the Challenges of Artisan Production in the Global Market / Kimberly M. Grimes and B. Lynne Milgram Democratizing International Production and Trade: North American Alternative Trading Organizations / Kimberly M. Grimes Building on Local Strengths: Nepalese Fair Trade Textiles / Rachel MacHenry "That They Be in the Middle, Lord": Women, Weaving, and Cultural Survival in Highland Chiapas, Mexico / Christine E. Eber The International Craft Market: A Double-Edged Sword for Guatemalan Maya Women / Martha Lynd Of Women, Hope, and Angels: Fair Trade and Artisan Production in a Squatter Settlement in Guatemala City / Brenda Rosenbaum Reorganizing Textile Production for the Global Market: WomenÕs Craft Cooperatives in Ifugao, Upland Philippines / B. Lynne Milgram Textile Production in Rural Oaxaca, Mexico, and the Complexities of the Global Market for Handmade Crafts / Jeffrey H. Cohen "Part-Time for Pin Money": The Legacy of Navajo WomenÕs Craft Production / Kathy MÕCloskey The Hard Sell: Anthropologists as Brokers of Crafts in the Global Marketplace / Andrew Causey Postscript: To Market, To Market / June Nash

Agricultural cooperatives and producer organizations are institutional innovations which have the potential to reduce poverty and improve food security. This book presents a raft of international case studies, from developing and transition countries, to analyse the internal and external challenges that these complex organizations face and the solutions that they have developed. The contributors provide an increased understanding of the transformation of traditional community organizations into modern farmer-owned businesses. They cover issues including: the impact on rural development and inclusiveness, the role of social capital, formal versus informal organizations, democratic participation and member relations, and their role in value chains. Students and scholars will find the book’s multidisciplinary approach useful in their research. It will also be of interest to policy-makers seeking to understand the wide diversity of organizational forms and functions. NGOs, donors and governments seeking to support rural developments will benefit from the discussions raised in this book.

The economic crisis in sub - Saharan Africa presents a major challenge to donors and to policy-makers. After an initial period of growth following independence, most African economies faltered, then failed. Repressed producer prices, inefficient public marketing boards, and weak government commitment have often been blamed for the poor performance of agriculture, Africa's most important sector. Thus, since the mid-1980s, many structural adjustment programs have emphasized price and marketing reforms, and countries have liberalized the marketing and pricing of major food crops. These reforms have improved the performance of the agricultural sector, but the effects on growth and real income have not met expectations. Deficient infrastructure, inadequate access to inputs and credit, poor extension services, and inefficient marketing systems constrain the effective expansion of production. There must be reforms that specifically address these constraints. This paper examines the reasons behind successful and unsuccessful experiences with rural co-ops and reevaluates the potential for remedying the major problems. It briefly explains the motivation for and effectiveness of rural co-ops in developed countries through the example of the Dutch. It then focuses on the development of rural cooperatives in sub - Saharan Africa and on the main issues and problems, including internal and external constraints.