DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC FARMERS’ COOPERATIVES: THE USA, THE EU, AND UKRAINE

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##

PDF
Published: Jul 25, 2018
https://doi.org/10.30525/2256-0742/2018-4-2-24-31

  Roman Bezus

  Ihor Bilotkach

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to formulate and to present recommendations on the development of organic cooperatives in Ukraine based on the experience of successful cooperatives from the US and the EU. An overview of their formation and financing, implementation of projects in organic cooperatives in different countries provide a powerful basis to formulate recommendations on how to avoid errors and to choose the best solutions for organic cooperatives in Ukraine. Methodology. The research is based on a comparison of data, describing the creation and development of organic farmers’ cooperatives in the US and such EU countries as France, Austria, and Ireland. Also, the actual characteristics of organic cooperatives in Ukraine and marketing cooperatives will be given. According to the obtained comparisons, recommendations on the further development of Ukrainian organic farmers’ cooperatives will be presented. Results. As a result of research, a special set of recommendations was formed. Notably, the following important conditions of successful activity of organic farmers’ cooperatives were indicated, as loyalty to the idea of producing organic products; optimal time planning for the project implementation; the importance of financial literacy training; the need to consider the views of all members of the cooperative; attracting scientists, managers and marketers to coop’s activities and so on. Practical implications. The considered array of practices of organic farmers’ cooperatives in the US and the EU helped to form a special set of recommendations for Ukrainian organic farmers and revealed that ideological factors have a powerful influence on the success of organic cooperatives. In particular, the loyalty to the idea of producing organic products and listening to the opinion of every cooperative’s member helps to overcome the crisis almost as well as additional funding. Value/originality. The presented recommendations provide an opportunity to understand the ways of developing the organic farmers’ cooperative, help to avoid risks optimally and support organic farmers’ cooperative movement in Ukraine.

How to Cite

Bezus, R., & Bilotkach, I. (2018). DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC FARMERS’ COOPERATIVES: THE USA, THE EU, AND UKRAINE. Baltic Journal of Economic Studies, 4(2), 24-31. https://doi.org/10.30525/2256-0742/2018-4-2-24-31
Article views: 804 | PDF Downloads: 487

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##

Keywords

farmer cooperatives, organic agriculture, marketing cooperatives, organic farmer cooperatives, US-EU cooperatives

References

Amelina Y. (2014) Model perehodu na organichne virobnitstvo ovochiv vidkritogo gruntu. [The model transferring to organic vegetable production in open ground] Business inform, 5: 183-188. [In Ukrainian].

Bezus R., & Burtak S. (2018) Chomu v Ukraini pomiraut kooperativi? [Why coops die in Ukraine?] kurkul.com. Retrieved from: https://kurkul.com/spetsproekty/248-chomu-v-ukrayini-pomirayut-kooperativi [In Ukrainian].

Borshchevskii V., & Magas V. (2014) Silskogospodarska kooperatsia: rinkovi mehanizmi rozvitku [Agricultural cooperation: mechanisms of market development] Economics of AIC, No. 10: 3-5, [In Ukrainian].

Budnik O. (2017) Rozvitok kooperativnogo marketingu v Ukraini ta sviti [The development of cooperative marketing in Ukraine and worldwide] Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific, Vol. 3, No. 1: 49-50 [In Ukrainian].

Coop Directory Service Listing (2017) coopdirectory.org. Retrieved from: http://coopdirectory.org/directory.htm

Deep Root (2018) deeprootorganic.coop Retrieved from: http://www.deeprootorganic.coop/deeproot/co-op-faq/

Erinyak F. (2013) Ukrainian agribusiness is a good school, after which you can work anywhere and not to be scared. Latifundist.com. Retrieved from: http://latifundist.com/interview/48-floran-erinyak-ukrainskij-agrobizneshoroshayashkola-posle-kotoroj-rabotat-nigde-ne-strashno

European commission (2013). The EU’s rural development policy 2014-2020. Agriculture and rural development. Retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rural-development-2014-2020_en

Fertl. T. (2015) Winter Harvest: Supporting the development of organic winter growing. Organic cooperative approaches to rural development. IFOAM EU Group: 10-12.

Hadfield M. (2017) USA’s top 100 co-operatives of the year named by National Cooperative Bank. Thenews.coop. Retrieved from: https://www.thenews.coop/122959/sector/usas-top-100-co-operatives-year-named-nationalcooperative-bank/

Haumann B. (2016) U.S. organic industry continues to grow. FIBL & IFOAM – Organics international (2016): The world of organic agriculture. Frick and Bonn: 258-264.

Haumann B. (2017) Organic continues to set records in the United States. The world of organic agriculture. Statistics and emerging trends. FIBL & IFOAM – Organics international (2017). Frick and Bonn: 258-264.

Haumann B. (2018) U.S. organic sales set new records. FIBL & IFOAM. Organics international (2018): The world of organic agriculture. Frick and Bonn: 284-289.

Lernoud J., & Willer H. (2016) Current statistic on organic agriculture worldwide: area, operators, markets, and selected crops. FIBL & IFOAM – Organics international (2016): The world of organic agriculture. Frick and Bonn: 34-114.

Lernoud J., & Willer H. (2017) Current statistic on organic agriculture worldwide: area, operators, and market. The world of organic agriculture. Statistics and emerging trends. FIBL & IFOAM – Organics international (2017). Frick and Bonn: 36-78.

Lernoud J., & Willer H. (2018) Current statistic on organic agriculture worldwide: area, operators, and market. FIBL & IFOAM. Organics international (2018): The world of organic agriculture. Frick and Bonn: 32-122.

Leriox J. (2015) Silo Bio Quest: A cooperative solution to ensure the quality of organic grain. Organic cooperative approaches to rural development. IFOAM EU Group: 14-16.

Organic agriculture could represent 15% of the market in 2022 (2017). Lacooperationagricole.coop Retrieved from: https://www.lacooperationagricole.coop/agriculture-biologique/lagriculture-bio-pourrait-representer-15-dessurfaces-en-2022

Research on the Economic Impact of Cooperatives (2017) The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. www.uwcc.wisc.edu. Retrieved from: http://reic.uwcc.wisc.edu/summary/

The official website of Organic Valley Coop (2018) organicvalley.coop. Retrieved from: http://www.organicvalley.coop.

Trofimtseva O. & Prokopchuk N. (2018) Organics in Ukraine. FIBL & IFOAM. Organics international (2018): The world of organic agriculture. Frick and Bonn: 256-260.

USDA (2016) Top 100 Agriculture Cooperatives, 2016 and 2015, by Total Gross Business Revenue (Billion $). USDA.gov. Retrieved from: https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/USDA2016NewTop100AgCoop.pdf

Voinea A. (2017) French agricultural co-operatives pledge to increase organic products. The Coop News, No. 11. Retrieved from: https://www.thenews.coop/120559/sector/french-agricultural-co-operatives-pledge-increaseorganic-products/

Westbrook G. (2015) The Little Milk Company: A group marketing initiative by organic dairy farmers. Organic cooperative approaches to rural development. IFOAM EU Group: 16-18.

What is coop? History (2010) The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. www.uwcc.wisc.edu. Retrieved from: http://www.uwcc.wisc.edu/whatisacoop/History/#Post_World_War_II

Willer H., & Schaak D. (2016) Organic farming and market development in Europe. FIBL & IFOAM – Organics international (2016): The world of organic agriculture. Frick and Bonn: 199-220.

Willer H., Schaak D., & Lernoud J. (2017) Organic farming and market development in Europe and the European Union. The world of organic agriculture. Statistics and emerging trends. FIBL & IFOAM – Organics international (2017). Frick and Bonn: 207-245.

Willer H., Schaak D., & Lernoud J. (2018) Organic farming and market development in Europe and the European Union. FIBL & IFOAM. Organics international (2018): The world of organic agriculture. Frick and Bonn: 217-250.

Zinovchuk V. (1996) Cooperation idea in agriculture of the US and the Ukraine [Kooperativna ideia v silskomu gospodarstvi Ukraini I SShA], Кyiv: Logos [In Ukrainian].

Issue
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2018): Baltic Journal of Economic Studies