Cooperatives and Group Action

Abstract

The primary objective of this paper is to synthesize and summarize organizational issues and challenges facing U.S. agricultural cooperatives as they analyze their strategic options in preparing to meet the needs of their members in the twenty-first century. In order to more clearly understand current issues and challenges to the agricultural cooperative method of business organization, four background areas are introduced: (a) a brief description of the public policy support afforded U. S. agricultural cooperatives, (b) a review of cooperative business organizational principles and constraints and (c) a taxonomy of current cooperative organizational structures and (d) a brief explanation as to the motives for developing U.S. agricultural cooperatives.