Selling agricultural products: farmers' co-operatives in production and marketing, 1880-1930 Articles uri icon

publication date

  • September 2013

start page

  • 547

end page

  • 568

issue

  • 4

volume

  • 56

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0007-6791

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1743-7938

abstract

  • Co-operation among farmers is believed to contribute to the adoption of technological advances and marketing and commercial innovations, and the presence of co-operatives has been associated with agricultural growth and higher standards of living for farmers. This paper looks at the extent to which co-operatives for the production and marketing of agricultural products diffused in 13 countries during 1880-1930. Despite their important advantages, co-operatives spread slowly in Western countries before 1930. Co-operatives were mainly adopted in export countries, and most of the output of these societies was commercialised abroad or in markets substantially distant from the producing areas. Co-operatives were successfully formed where one crop system dominated and the density of production was high.

keywords

  • 1880-1930; production and marketing; co-operatives; agriculture in western countries; property-rights; united-states