Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Riverside, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 227-244).

This study highlights the contribution of agricultural co-operatives in promoting food security in the Nkonkobe Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.Although the dawn of democracy saw the government making efforts to address food insecurity and provide solutions to the challenges related to it a lot remains to be done. As a result, food insecurity remains a fundamental concern in South Africa in particular among villagers in the Nkonkobe Local Municipality. Consequently, the study focuses on the state of Agricultural Co-operatives in the Nkonkobe Municipality and their role in food security. Therefore, this dissertation therefore discusses problems plaguing Agricultural Co-operatives in Nkonkobe. This study highlights the contribution of agricultural co-operatives in promoting food security in the Nkonkobe Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.Although the dawn of democracy saw the government making efforts to address food insecurity and provide solutions to the challenges related to it a lot remains to be done. As a result, food insecurity remains a fundamental concern in South Africa in particular among villagers in the Nkonkobe Local Municipality. Consequently, the study focuses on the state of Agricultural Co-operatives in the Nkonkobe Municipality and their role in food security. Therefore, this dissertation therefore discusses problems plaguing Agricultural Co-operatives in Nkonkobe. The qualitative methodology was used because it seeks to dig out in-depth information so as to understand the causes of food insecurity despite agricultural co-operatives and government assistance being in place. The food security situation was analysed using the sustainable livelihoods and basic needs approaches. The findings of the study reveal that agricultural co-operatives face a number of challenges. These include inadequate funds, poor market places, transport problems, shortage of farming equipment and insufficient water supply. In addition, the ability of agricultural co-operatives to make a worthy contribution to food security is being adversely hindered by poor implementation capacity and financial management. This in turn makes them unable to strengthen and expand their business operations. The study suggests that the government or the municipality should build sustainable water sources like dams as well as provide taps in the community to boost productivity all year round in the agricultural cooperatives hence guaranteeing food security in Nkonkobe Local Municipality,the Eastern Cape and South Africa at large.

This study explored the role and effectiveness of a credit guarantee scheme targeting coffee farmers’ cooperatives in Ethiopia. The study, among other things, aims at exploring how provision of a credit guarantee influences supply of institutional credit to coffee farmers’ cooperatives as well as examines cooperatives guaranteed loan utilisation, the resultant changes/impacts and intervening factors. Credit guarantee schemes largely trace their roots in the liberal and neoliberal economic and social contexts. One of the key issues the current study tried to address is examining how a credit guarantee scheme operates in a partially liberal capitalist context where there is pervasive state intervention in the key sectors of the economy, including financial and coffee sectors. The study was conducted in eight zones of the two major coffee producing regions of Ethiopia – Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ regions. A mixed method with structured questionnaires (at two stages), key informant interviews, focus group discussions and extensive observation were used to collect data from primary cooperatives, financial institutions, coffee extension and cooperative experts. Qualitative analytical methods, descriptive statistics and econometric model were used in analysing the data. The study reveals that most primary cooperatives have weak institutional, business and financial capacities, and limited access to institutional services including credit. The findings show that cooperatives generally have limited role in the coffee production end, but they play an important role in its marketing. The study suggests that coffee or multipurpose cooperatives are not ideally suitable to serve as intermediaries for bank loans. The study reveals that the vast majority of the study cooperatives have potential demand for loans, but revealed low actual demand. Different sets of internal (demand side) and external factors influence cooperatives’ potential and actual demand for loan in different ways. The assessment of the guarantee scheme under analysis shows that though most of its design and operational features are in line with international practices, there are some obvious limitations. Low risk coverage level, limitation in the total volume of the guarantee fund, lack of capital enhancement mechanism for the lending banks, short life span of the scheme, lack of flexibility and adaptation and reliance on a single lending bank are among the notable limitations. In terms of utilisation of the guarantee fund and outreach of the lending activity, the scheme attained limited achievements with a low leverage ratio. However, substantial financial additionality was attained among the borrower cooperatives, but the intervention had little impacts in improving the terms and conditions of loans. The positive effects on the economic/business activities of beneficiary cooperatives include acquisition of processing facilities, increase in member size, increased volume of coffee processed and dry cherry traded and improvement in the income generated from such business activities. However, the scheme had limited effects on cooperatives’ human resources and type of management. A number of internal and external factors appear to influence effectiveness of a credit guarantee targeting farmers’ cooperatives. Several recommendations were made. First, there is a need to integrate attractive features into the scheme that can be periodically revised and adapted. These may include raising the risk coverage level especially at the initial stage, including liquidity boosting mechanism, lowering guarantee fee level, devising longer-term arrangement, integrating strong capacity building and technical support and other incentive packages. Second, the lending banks need to develop suitable loan products, revisit and improve their lending terms, requirements and approaches. Third, if they are to effectively demand for and make proper use of such guaranteed loans, cooperatives need to be supported so as to enhance their organisational, business and technical capacities. Fourth, there is a need for the government to further strengthen provision of a more supportive and enabling legal and institutional environments and relax some of the regulatory frameworks so as to facilitate the lending-borrowing activities. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

Este trabalho está vinculado a uma problemática conjunta de pesquisa que visa entender se a gestão de programas ou políticas públicas desenvolvidas por organizações não governamentais (ONG) ou órgãos públicos de Dois Vizinhos se alinham aos preceitos do desenvolvimento da agricultura familiar, numa perspectiva sustentável. Para tanto foi realizado um diagnóstico sócio-economico-ambiental na comunidade Fazenda Mazurana, com o objetivo de entender a dinâmica das ações dessas organizações na situação de vida dos agricultores familiares da comunidade. Especificamente esse trabalho concentrou-se na Cooperativa de Crédito Rural Cresol. Entende-se que há evidências teóricas e contextuais que permitem apontar a economia solidária como uma proposta alternativa para a agricultura familiar. Este modelo de organização preconiza um processo econômico-social autogestionário. Nesse sentido, buscou-se entender como os agricultores cooperados compreendem e participam da autogestão visando identificar como esse modelo tem conduzido, ou não, as famílias agricultoras à práticas sustentáveis. A esse respeito identificou-se as boas/razoáveis condições dos cooperados da Cresol, resultado principalmente do Programa Água Limpa acessado pela comunidade via Prefeitura Municipal e, ao que pareceu, das estratégias montadas pelos próprios agricultores.Verificou-se algumas tendências dos rumos da organização no caso ilustrativo da Cresol de Dois Vizinhos-PR que, pode apontar para orientações do Sistema Cresol. / This work is bound to issue a joint research aimed at understanding the management of public policies or programs developed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or public bodies of two neighbors line up to the precepts of the development of family farming in a sustainable perspective. To do so was made a diagnosis socio-economic-environmental community Mazurana Farm, in order to understand the dynamics of the actions of these organizations in the life situation of the farmers of the community. Specifically, this work focused on the Rural Credit Cooperative Cresol. It is understood that there are theoretical and contextual evidence that may point out the social economy as an alternative proposal to the family farm. This model proposes a process of organizing economic and social self-management. Accordingly, we sought to understand how farmers understand and participate in cooperative self-management to identify how this model has led, or not, the sustainable practices of farming families. In this respect we identified good / reasonable conditions of the cooperative Cresol, mainly as a result of the Clean Water program accessed via the community and City Hall, it seemed, strategies mounted by the agricultures. Some trends were checked in the direction of the organization the illustrative case of two neighbors of Cresol-PR that can point to System guidelines Cresol.

Em um país onde a agricultura familiar é historicamente tratada como o patinho feio, sendo as políticas públicas geralmente voltadas à agricultura patronal na produção de commodities agrícolas, é criado pelo governo federal, em 2003, o Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos – PAA, o qual tem contido em um dos seus objetivos o “Fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar”. A partir desta primicia, a indagação sobre a reificação deste objetivo causou o interesse em buscar dados que pudessem contribuir com o entendimento da forma com que o PAA atinge os agricultores familiares, tanto no contexto econômico, quanto no social. Assim, na busca pela resposta de qual é o papel que o Programa tem no fortalecimento da agricultura familiar e considerando que o fortalecimento da agricultura também se dá, conforme vasta bibliografia já produzida, à organização destes agricultores em associações e cooperativas, foi realizado um estudo de caso na Cooperativa da Agricultura Familiar Integrada – Coopafi – de Capanema, sendo esta escolhida por ser fruto da primeira cooperativa de comercialização da agricultura familiar na Região Sudoeste do Paraná, a Cooperfac – Cooperativa da Agricultura Familiar de Capanema. Neste sentido a dissertação discute como emergem as estratégias de comercialização da agricultura familiar nos mercados, tanto institucionais, quanto particulares. O objetivo principal deste trabalho é identificar o papel do PAA para o fortalecimento da agricultura familiar em decorrência do estreitamento das relações entre os agricultores familiares e o mercado institucional. Para tanto, duas hipóteses orientam a pesquisa. A primeira assevera que a ação de Política Pública – PAA – cumpre os objetivos com que foi proposta e tem um peso significativo no fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar e no desenvolvimento rural sustentável. A segunda hipótese remete ao fato de que os atores envolvidos, agricultores familiares e dirigentes da cooperativa, em todo o processo de comercialização do PAA têm a percepção da importância desta Política Pública na melhoria das condições socioeconômicas dos Agricultores Familiares e da sociedade em que estes estão inseridos. A amplitude destas questões afirmam a escolha da realização de um estudo de caso e a utilização de técnicas de pesquisa quantitativas e qualitativas. Assim, os procedimentos metodológicos relacionam-se a aplicação de um formulário padronizado, entrevista semi-estruturada e observação direta, além da utilização de dados secundários. Em síntese, os resultados da pesquisa confirmam, parcialmente, as hipóteses iniciais. Primeiramente, estes demonstram que o PAA fortalece a agricultura familiar, porém com algumas limitações. Ao mesmo tempo, evidenciam como o processo de comercialização via PAA modificou o modo de produção e de relação do agricultor familiar com o mercado, demontrando a percepção dos agricultores quanto à importância do PAA e do associativismo para o desenvolvimento sustentável. / In a country where family farming is historically treated as ‘the ugly duckling’, and public policy generally directed to agriculture employer in the production of agricultural commodities it is created by the Federal Government in 2003, the Food Acquisition Program – FAP (PAA), which has embraced as one of its objectives ‘Strengthening Family Farming’. With this idea in mind, the quest about reification of this objective caused the interest in seeking data that could contribute to the understanding of the way the FAP (PAA) reaches the farmers, both in economic and social context. Thus, searching for an answer about what is the program role on strengthening family farming and considering that the strengthening of agriculture also occurs according to extensive bibliography already produced from the organization of farmers into associations and cooperatives, a case study was conducted at the Family Farming Cooperative Integrated - Coopafi – Capanema, it was chosen for being result of the first marketing cooperative of family farms in the Southwest Region of Paraná, Cooperfac - Family Agriculture Cooperative of Capanema. In this sense the dissertation discusses how marketing strategies of family farming emerge in the markets, both institutional and private. The main objective of this work is to identify the role of FAP (PAA) to strengthen family agriculture due to the strengthening of relations between the farmers and the institutional market. For this reason, two hypotheses guide the research: the first asserts that the action of Public Policy – FAP (PAA) - accomplishes the objectives with what have been proposed and has a significant importance on strengthening family farming and sustainable rural development. The second hypothesis refers to the fact that the actors involved, family farmers and cooperative leaders, in the whole process of marketing the FAP (PAA) are aware of the importance of Public Policy in improving the socioeconomic conditions of Family Farmers and the society in which they are inserted. The extend of these issues asserts the choice of performing a case study and the use of techniques of quantitative and qualitative research. Thus, the methodological procedures relating to the application of a standardized form, semi-structured interview and direct observation, besides the use of secondary data. In summary, the survey results confirm, in part, the initial hypotheses. First, they demonstrate that the FAP (PAA) strengthens family farms, but with some limitations. At the same time, they highlight how the process of commercialization via FAP (PAA) modified the mode of production and the farmer's family relationship with the market, demonstrating the perception of farmers related to the importance of FAP (PAA) and associations for sustainable development.

Este trabalho está vinculado a uma problemática conjunta de pesquisa que visa entender se a gestão de programas ou políticas públicas desenvolvidas por organizações não governamentais (ONG) ou órgãos públicos de Dois Vizinhos se alinham aos preceitos do desenvolvimento da agricultura familiar, numa perspectiva sustentável. Para tanto foi realizado um diagnóstico sócio-economico-ambiental na comunidade Fazenda Mazurana, com o objetivo de entender a dinâmica das ações dessas organizações na situação de vida dos agricultores familiares da comunidade. Especificamente esse trabalho concentrou-se na Cooperativa de Crédito Rural Cresol. Entende-se que há evidências teóricas e contextuais que permitem apontar a economia solidária como uma proposta alternativa para a agricultura familiar. Este modelo de organização preconiza um processo econômico-social autogestionário. Nesse sentido, buscou-se entender como os agricultores cooperados compreendem e participam da autogestão visando identificar como esse modelo tem conduzido, ou não, as famílias agricultoras à práticas sustentáveis. A esse respeito identificou-se as boas/razoáveis condições dos cooperados da Cresol, resultado principalmente do Programa Água Limpa acessado pela comunidade via Prefeitura Municipal e, ao que pareceu, das estratégias montadas pelos próprios agricultores.Verificou-se algumas tendências dos rumos da organização no caso ilustrativo da Cresol de Dois Vizinhos-PR que, pode apontar para orientações do Sistema Cresol. / This work is bound to issue a joint research aimed at understanding the management of public policies or programs developed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or public bodies of two neighbors line up to the precepts of the development of family farming in a sustainable perspective. To do so was made a diagnosis socio-economic-environmental community Mazurana Farm, in order to understand the dynamics of the actions of these organizations in the life situation of the farmers of the community. Specifically, this work focused on the Rural Credit Cooperative Cresol. It is understood that there are theoretical and contextual evidence that may point out the social economy as an alternative proposal to the family farm. This model proposes a process of organizing economic and social self-management. Accordingly, we sought to understand how farmers understand and participate in cooperative self-management to identify how this model has led, or not, the sustainable practices of farming families. In this respect we identified good / reasonable conditions of the cooperative Cresol, mainly as a result of the Clean Water program accessed via the community and City Hall, it seemed, strategies mounted by the agricultures. Some trends were checked in the direction of the organization the illustrative case of two neighbors of Cresol-PR that can point to System guidelines Cresol.

Em um país onde a agricultura familiar é historicamente tratada como o patinho feio, sendo as políticas públicas geralmente voltadas à agricultura patronal na produção de commodities agrícolas, é criado pelo governo federal, em 2003, o Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos – PAA, o qual tem contido em um dos seus objetivos o “Fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar”. A partir desta primicia, a indagação sobre a reificação deste objetivo causou o interesse em buscar dados que pudessem contribuir com o entendimento da forma com que o PAA atinge os agricultores familiares, tanto no contexto econômico, quanto no social. Assim, na busca pela resposta de qual é o papel que o Programa tem no fortalecimento da agricultura familiar e considerando que o fortalecimento da agricultura também se dá, conforme vasta bibliografia já produzida, à organização destes agricultores em associações e cooperativas, foi realizado um estudo de caso na Cooperativa da Agricultura Familiar Integrada – Coopafi – de Capanema, sendo esta escolhida por ser fruto da primeira cooperativa de comercialização da agricultura familiar na Região Sudoeste do Paraná, a Cooperfac – Cooperativa da Agricultura Familiar de Capanema. Neste sentido a dissertação discute como emergem as estratégias de comercialização da agricultura familiar nos mercados, tanto institucionais, quanto particulares. O objetivo principal deste trabalho é identificar o papel do PAA para o fortalecimento da agricultura familiar em decorrência do estreitamento das relações entre os agricultores familiares e o mercado institucional. Para tanto, duas hipóteses orientam a pesquisa. A primeira assevera que a ação de Política Pública – PAA – cumpre os objetivos com que foi proposta e tem um peso significativo no fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar e no desenvolvimento rural sustentável. A segunda hipótese remete ao fato de que os atores envolvidos, agricultores familiares e dirigentes da cooperativa, em todo o processo de comercialização do PAA têm a percepção da importância desta Política Pública na melhoria das condições socioeconômicas dos Agricultores Familiares e da sociedade em que estes estão inseridos. A amplitude destas questões afirmam a escolha da realização de um estudo de caso e a utilização de técnicas de pesquisa quantitativas e qualitativas. Assim, os procedimentos metodológicos relacionam-se a aplicação de um formulário padronizado, entrevista semi-estruturada e observação direta, além da utilização de dados secundários. Em síntese, os resultados da pesquisa confirmam, parcialmente, as hipóteses iniciais. Primeiramente, estes demonstram que o PAA fortalece a agricultura familiar, porém com algumas limitações. Ao mesmo tempo, evidenciam como o processo de comercialização via PAA modificou o modo de produção e de relação do agricultor familiar com o mercado, demontrando a percepção dos agricultores quanto à importância do PAA e do associativismo para o desenvolvimento sustentável. / In a country where family farming is historically treated as ‘the ugly duckling’, and public policy generally directed to agriculture employer in the production of agricultural commodities it is created by the Federal Government in 2003, the Food Acquisition Program – FAP (PAA), which has embraced as one of its objectives ‘Strengthening Family Farming’. With this idea in mind, the quest about reification of this objective caused the interest in seeking data that could contribute to the understanding of the way the FAP (PAA) reaches the farmers, both in economic and social context. Thus, searching for an answer about what is the program role on strengthening family farming and considering that the strengthening of agriculture also occurs according to extensive bibliography already produced from the organization of farmers into associations and cooperatives, a case study was conducted at the Family Farming Cooperative Integrated - Coopafi – Capanema, it was chosen for being result of the first marketing cooperative of family farms in the Southwest Region of Paraná, Cooperfac - Family Agriculture Cooperative of Capanema. In this sense the dissertation discusses how marketing strategies of family farming emerge in the markets, both institutional and private. The main objective of this work is to identify the role of FAP (PAA) to strengthen family agriculture due to the strengthening of relations between the farmers and the institutional market. For this reason, two hypotheses guide the research: the first asserts that the action of Public Policy – FAP (PAA) - accomplishes the objectives with what have been proposed and has a significant importance on strengthening family farming and sustainable rural development. The second hypothesis refers to the fact that the actors involved, family farmers and cooperative leaders, in the whole process of marketing the FAP (PAA) are aware of the importance of Public Policy in improving the socioeconomic conditions of Family Farmers and the society in which they are inserted. The extend of these issues asserts the choice of performing a case study and the use of techniques of quantitative and qualitative research. Thus, the methodological procedures relating to the application of a standardized form, semi-structured interview and direct observation, besides the use of secondary data. In summary, the survey results confirm, in part, the initial hypotheses. First, they demonstrate that the FAP (PAA) strengthens family farms, but with some limitations. At the same time, they highlight how the process of commercialization via FAP (PAA) modified the mode of production and the farmer's family relationship with the market, demonstrating the perception of farmers related to the importance of FAP (PAA) and associations for sustainable development.

In 1913 thirty dairy farmers formed the Fraser Valley Milk Producers’ Association, an organization which began operation in 1917 and became one of the most successful cooperatives in North America. The compact nature of the Fraser Valley was a geographic advantage which laid the basis for the success of the Association. The river itself, the railways, and the roads which were built slowly and at great cost, provided transportation which unified the Valley. The insatiable Cariboo markets enabled pioneer farmers to become well established. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway opened wider markets which dairymen were able to take advantage of after the creameries became established. The phenomenal growth of Vancouver in the first decade of the twentieth century provided a fluid market which was more lucrative. This market became accessible to farmers as far away as the Chilliwack Valley when the B.C. Electric Railway line was completed in 1910. Intense competition on the fluid market and some of the practices of milk dealers forced the farmers to unite in order to achieve orderly marketing. The thirty men who initiated the organization in 1913 were, on the whole, prosperous, ambitious men in the prime of life, who believed that the fertile land of the Fraser Valley could provide wealth just as the river had given up gold to the first comers. Most of them had been engaged in farmers' associations or cooperative ventures and it was on the solid foundation of these groups that the Fraser Valley Milk Producers' Association began. It was a merging of established cooperatives rather than a newly created organization. The Association began operation during a period of war-time prosperity. Its outstanding initial success convinced many in the Valley of the value of the Cooperative. This laid the basis for the strong loyalty of the membership which, along with firm and able leadership, contributed to the success of the F.V.M.P.A. When orderly marketing could not be achieved through voluntary action, the Cooperative members attempted to gain marketing legislation which would equalize the returns from the fluid market. The Dairy Products Sales Adjustment Act was in effect throughout 1930. During this time Cooperative members received better returns than previously. This strengthened the loyalty of the membership as the struggle to gain legislation continued. Geographic advantage, the high quality of the leadership and the strong loyalty of the membership help to explain the success of the Cooperative, but the effect of that success is also worth consideration. The Association controlled production of the milk shipped by its members, preventing a surplus on the fluid market through the establishment of manufacturing plants. The many bitter battles fought in the Valley were between the Cooperative, which struggled to retain for its members the advantages of the stable market their joint action had created, and those who sought to gain control of the fluid market, but who, in the name of free enterprise, refused to share the cost of stabilizing it. The dramatic struggle culminated with the passage of the Milk Industry Act in 1956, but the fact that the Fraser Valley Milk Producers' Association had survived, prevented complete disruption of the milk market through the long, difficult years and made the impact, of the depression, severe though it was, less disastrous than it might otherwise have been. Though it protected some who were running uneconomic farms, the Cooperative enabled many to adapt to the constant demands for steadily increasing efficiency as agriculture developed rapidly from bush farming to a complex agro-industry. The cooperative nature of the Association and the structure of the organization with its locals, and its central directorate elected by the membership, gave a grass roots control which involved every member in decision making (but did not prevent control over the membership by skilful leaders) and thus absorbed some of the unrest created by adverse economic conditions and prevented alienation to a considerable extent. Many in the Valley had reason to be proud of the success of the Fraser Valley Milk Producers' Association: many more to be grateful for it. / Arts, Faculty of / History, Department of / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.