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IIMBx: Cooperatives and Producer Companies

This course is about cooperatives also known as Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). It discusses what a cooperative is, how it helps small producers, and most important, how to set up sustainable, profitable and vibrant FPOs. It is based on empirical evidence from the field. It also discusses the basic principles of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
3 weeks
2–3 hours per week
Instructor-paced
Instructor-led on a course schedule
This course is archived

About this course

Skip About this course
This course is about cooperative business, cooperative movement, cooperative organization, cooperative model, types of cooperatives, and cooperative development. In the beginning, the concept of a cooperative is explained and how it is different from an investor owned company. We also explain why this form of organization is required for producers in the dairy, agriculture, weaver artisan and other sectors of the economy.

We then discuss the basic principles of a cooperative and why they evolved. These principles were enunciated by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) of all countries. We provide a brief overview of the success of cooperatives in different countries. We discuss some issues in regulation, and the legal and constitutional issues in India. We also discuss how genuine, member owned FPOs or cooperatives can revitalize agriculture in India which still employs over 50% of the population. There are some basic issues related to finances. These include acquiring the initial capital to set up FPOs or cooperatives that are independent of outside control, whether from the Government or the NGOs. Working capital is another important issue for non-dairy, seasonal crops. Distribution of profits is different from the shareholder companies.

There are organizational issues regarding the structure and Governance of cooperatives.

The most important aspect of this course is how to set up such cooperatives. The context is set in rural India with small farmers, most of whom have no irrigation and hence are rain dependent. They have little capital to invest either in farming or in any cooperative. The quality of their produce is also highly variable. Market prices and crop yields are erratic and volatile. We explain how an external promoting agency, typically an NGO can go into a new region and set up successful Cooperatives. The roles of the two entities, the NGO and the FPO are clearly defined. We touch upon the full life cycle from inception to a sustainable mature successful cooperative. The two basic principles: member owned and governed cooperatives, and no financial subsidy are used to discuss how to set up independent sustainable cooperatives. We use evidence from successful cooperatives to show how this was done. The business aspect, especially marketing is also discussed.

At a glance

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated skills:Working Capital, Agriculture, Governance, Irrigation (Landscaping And Agriculture), Marketing, Empirical Evidence

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn
  • What is a cooperative?
  • How can cooperatives be set up successfully?
  • Understanding why Indian cooperatives have not done well in general.
  • How can the cooperative situation in India be changed?
  • Tips on financing the genuine FPOs
Week 01: Introduction
  • Overview
  • Defining a Cooperative
  • Cooperative Principles
  • What is not a Cooperative?
  • A Conversation
  • Cooperatives outside India
  • Why do we need Cooperatives?
Week 02: Forming Cooperatives
  • Introduction to Forming Cooperatives
  • Role of NGOs
  • Challenges faced by NGOs
  • Pool and Sell Model of Forming Cooperatives
  • Quality Assessment of the Produce
  • Promoting Agency and the Cooperative
Week 03: Promoting Cooperatives
  • Initial Operations for Promoting Cooperatives
  • Financing a Cooperative
  • Suggestions for a Better Functioning Cooperative
  • Mistakes to be Avoided for a Better Functioning Cooperative
  • Marketing and Organizational Framework for a Cooperative
  • Pool, Process, Store and Sell Model
  • The Way Forward

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