Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi: Structure, conduct, and performance

Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi, in contrast to other farmer-level organizations, have legal status and can own assets, borrow money for their operations, and sign contracts, making it easier for them to do business for the profit of their members. Conceptually, such cooperatives enable...

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Autores principales: Davis, Kristin E., Kazembe, Cynthia, Benson, Todd, De Weerdt, Joachim, Duchoslav, Jan
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130513
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author Davis, Kristin E.
Kazembe, Cynthia
Benson, Todd
De Weerdt, Joachim
Duchoslav, Jan
author_browse Benson, Todd
Davis, Kristin E.
De Weerdt, Joachim
Duchoslav, Jan
Kazembe, Cynthia
author_facet Davis, Kristin E.
Kazembe, Cynthia
Benson, Todd
De Weerdt, Joachim
Duchoslav, Jan
author_sort Davis, Kristin E.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi, in contrast to other farmer-level organizations, have legal status and can own assets, borrow money for their operations, and sign contracts, making it easier for them to do business for the profit of their members. Conceptually, such cooperatives enable their member-farmers to achieve economies of scale for their commercial activities. By joining together in a cooperative, members can obtain commercial inputs at lower prices closer to wholesale prices than if they purchased the inputs as individuals. In selling their output, by aggregating their crops and other products into larger lots that the cooperative then negotiates to sell on their behalf, buyers can achieve greater efficiency in buying from them and can be expected to offer a premium over the prices that they would offer farmers selling those products individually. Cooperatives can also serve farmers in providing an important channel for obtaining information and advice to increase their productivity and the profitability of their farming. Moreover, by joining together to achieve common objectives in primary agricultural cooperatives, member-farmers can exercise greater influence on local and national policy issues of concern to them, while also building social cohesion, solidarity, and trust within their communities.
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spelling CGSpace1305132025-11-06T07:42:02Z Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi: Structure, conduct, and performance Davis, Kristin E. Kazembe, Cynthia Benson, Todd De Weerdt, Joachim Duchoslav, Jan agricultural cooperatives finance inputs prices information productivity farmers development Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi, in contrast to other farmer-level organizations, have legal status and can own assets, borrow money for their operations, and sign contracts, making it easier for them to do business for the profit of their members. Conceptually, such cooperatives enable their member-farmers to achieve economies of scale for their commercial activities. By joining together in a cooperative, members can obtain commercial inputs at lower prices closer to wholesale prices than if they purchased the inputs as individuals. In selling their output, by aggregating their crops and other products into larger lots that the cooperative then negotiates to sell on their behalf, buyers can achieve greater efficiency in buying from them and can be expected to offer a premium over the prices that they would offer farmers selling those products individually. Cooperatives can also serve farmers in providing an important channel for obtaining information and advice to increase their productivity and the profitability of their farming. Moreover, by joining together to achieve common objectives in primary agricultural cooperatives, member-farmers can exercise greater influence on local and national policy issues of concern to them, while also building social cohesion, solidarity, and trust within their communities. 2023-05-19 2023-05-26T20:25:17Z 2023-05-26T20:25:17Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130513 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136710 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Davis, Kristin; Kazembe, Cynthia; Benson, Todd; De Weerdt, Joachim; and Duchoslav, Jan. 2023. Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi: Structure, conduct, and performance. MaSSP Working Paper 41. Lilongwe, Malawi: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136709
spellingShingle agricultural cooperatives
finance
inputs
prices
information
productivity
farmers
development
Davis, Kristin E.
Kazembe, Cynthia
Benson, Todd
De Weerdt, Joachim
Duchoslav, Jan
Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi: Structure, conduct, and performance
title Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi: Structure, conduct, and performance
title_full Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi: Structure, conduct, and performance
title_fullStr Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi: Structure, conduct, and performance
title_full_unstemmed Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi: Structure, conduct, and performance
title_short Primary agricultural cooperatives in Malawi: Structure, conduct, and performance
title_sort primary agricultural cooperatives in malawi structure conduct and performance
topic agricultural cooperatives
finance
inputs
prices
information
productivity
farmers
development
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130513
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AT deweerdtjoachim primaryagriculturalcooperativesinmalawistructureconductandperformance
AT duchoslavjan primaryagriculturalcooperativesinmalawistructureconductandperformance