Cette thèse contribue à analyser dans quelles mesures les coopératives financières concourent à laréduction de la pauvreté.De ce point de vue, nos analyses ont porté aussi bien sur l’adéquation du cadre conceptuel de cesinstitutions que sur leurs impacts sur les sociétaires. Par rapport au fonctionnement, nos analysesmontrent dans le cas du Bénin, que les principes coopératifs sont globalement appliqués. Toutefois, ellessont confrontées à des problèmes de viabilité financière et de gouvernance liés à la croissance dusociétariat.En ce qui concerne leurs impacts sur les sociétaires, nos résultats suggèrent dans le court terme, que lecaractère intégré de ces institutions s’est avéré globalement pertinent. Par rapport à la dimensionfinancière, il ressort des résultats obtenus que le crédit communautaire contribue favorablement àl’accroissement du revenu des ménages, à la promotion de l’investissement en capital humain des enfants àtravers à l’accroissement des dépenses d’éducation et de santé, mais avec une portée relativement faible.Par contre, le crédit communautaire n’a pas eu d’effet sur l’accroissement de l’épargne. Par rapport à ladimension non financière, nos résultats suggèrent que les services non financiers offerts exercent à traversle statut de sociétariat, une influence favorable sur la constitution du revenu des ménages bénéficiaires ducrédit coopératif.Dans le même ordre d’idées, du point de vue de la mobilité économique, les résultats suggèrent à courtterme, une mobilité des ménages bénéficiaires relativement faible et liée à l’état initial de bien-Être. Defaçon comparative, les résultats suggèrent dans une certaine mesure qu’il y a eu une mobilité ascendanteélevée au niveau des ménages bénéficiaires comparés aux non bénéficiaires. Sur un horizon de long terme,nos résultats suggèrent une convergence très lente des sociétaires vers l’état de bien-Être supérieur si lescoopératives ne subissent pas de mutation en termes de stratégie de réduction de la pauvreté.Par ailleurs, de l’analyse de l’influence du degré de la contrainte de crédit révélée par les sociétairesbénéficiaires du crédit communautaire, il ressort que l’existence de la contrainte de crédit du côté del’offre ne semble pas avoir influencé le niveau de vie des bénéficiaires ayant jugé la valeur du montant ducrédit obtenu « insuffisante ou très insuffisante », dans le court terme. Par contre, par rapport auxbénéficiaires qui ont jugé la valeur du montant du crédit obtenu « suffisante », nos résultats suggèrent dansun premier temps, l’existence d’un biais de sélection et dans un second temps, que la chance de sortir de lapauvreté est plus faible pour cette catégorie de bénéficiaires comparée au reste de la population quipossède les mêmes caractéristiques mais qui s’estiment très contraints « crédit obtenu très insuffisant » oupartiellement contraints «crédit obtenu insuffisant ».En somme, nos résultats soulignent que le caractère intégré des coopératives peut contribuer à lacroissance économique et l’amélioration du bien-Être sociétaires pauvres et vulnérables, mais à conditionque ces structures définissent clairement une stratégie dans ce sens et qu’elle soit étalée sur un horizon detemps bien défini. En outre, pour y parvenir, ces institutions nécessitent d’être appuyées par des dotationsexternes ou d’autres programmes complémentaires au regard de leur mode endogène de mobilisation deressources qui pourraient donner lieu à des contraintes apparentes de crédit. / This thesis contributes to analyze the extent to which financial cooperatives contribute to povertyreduction. From this point of view, our analysis focused on both the adequacy of the conceptualframework of these institutions and their impact on members. As for their operation, our analysis showsin the case of Benin that cooperative principles generally applied. However, they face problems offinancial sustainability and governance related to the growth of membership.With regard to their impact on shareholders, our results suggest that in the short term, the integratednature of these institutions has proven globally relevant. As for the financial dimension, it appears fromthe results that the community loan contributes positively to the growth of household income, theincrease of investment in human capital for children through higher education and health spending, butwith a relatively small range. However, the community loan had no effect on the growth of savings. As forthe non-Financial dimension, our results suggest that non-Financial services offered exercise through thestakeholder-Status, a positive influence on the formation of the income of households that arebeneficiaries of the cooperative loan.In the same vein, in terms of economic mobility, our results suggest, in short-Term a relatively lowmobility of recipient households which is also related to the initial state of well-Being. In other words, thefrequency of mobility is upward for all states of welfare for all recipients, except for the poorestshareholder households. Compared to non-Beneficiaries, our results suggest in some ways, a high upwardmobility for beneficiary households. Over a longer term, our results suggest a very slow convergence ofmembers to a state of higher well-Being when the cooperatives are not subject to change in their povertyreduction strategies.In addition, the analysis of the influence of the degree of credit constraints revealed by the shareholderswho were beneficiaries of the community loan, shows that the existence of credit constraints in the supplyside does not seem to have influenced the living standards of beneficiaries who rated the value of the loanreceived as "insufficient" or "very insufficient" in the short term. But, compared to recipients who foundthe value of the loan received "sufficient", our results suggest at first, the existence of a selection bias andin a second step, the chance to escape poverty is lower for this category of beneficiaries compared to therest of the population with the same characteristics but who feel very constrained ("loan received is veryinsufficient") or partially constrained ("loan received is insufficient".)In total, our results highlight that the integrated nature of cooperatives can contribute to economic growthand improve the welfare of poor and vulnerable members, provided that these cooperatives clearly definea strategy in that direction and spread it over a defined period of time. In addition, to achieve this, theseinstitutions need to be supported by external grants or other complementary programs, when oneconsiders their endogenous mode of resource mobilization.

<p>Scandinavian countries are usually assumed to be less disposed than other countries to involve associations as welfare producers. They are assumed to be so disinclined due to their strong statutory welfare involvement, which “crowds-out” associational welfare production; their ethnic, cultural and religious homogeneity, which leads to a lack of minority interests in associational welfare production; and to their strong working-class organisations, which are supposed to prefer statutory welfare solutions. These assumptions are questioned here, because they cannot account for salient associational welfare production in the welfare areas of housing and child-care in two Scandinavian countries, Sweden and Norway.</p><p>In order to approach an explanation for the phenomena of associational welfare production in Sweden and Norway, some refinements of current theories are suggested. First, it is argued that welfare associations usually depend on statutory support in order to produce welfare on a salient level. Second, it is supposed that any form of particularistic interest in welfare production, not only ethnic, cultural or religious minority interests, can lead to associational welfare.</p><p>With respect to these assumptions, this thesis supposes that political parties are organisations that, on one hand, influence statutory decisions regarding associational welfare production, and, on the other hand, pursue particularistic interests in associational welfare production. It is hypothesised that political parties attempt to mould statutory decisions on associational welfare provision in accordance with the interests of associations with “congruent constituencies.”</p><p>The aim of this thesis is to examine whether political party preferences for certain welfare associations might help to explain variations in statutory support for associational welfare provision. Two questions are raised: First, do parties differ in their attempts to influence statutory subventions and regulations of associational welfare provision, resulting in more or less favourable conditions for associational welfare? Second, do parties systematically differ in their policies with regard to more or less “congruent” associations?</p><p>In order to investigate these questions, a comparison is made between political parties’ attempts to influence statutory regulation and subvention of Norwegian and Swedish associations active in the areas of day-care and housing. For this purpose, information is drawn from public documents and official statistics in order to identify more or less favourable policies and related partisan policies. In addition, supportive parties and favoured associations are compared with regard to their “constituencies.”</p><p>The findings partly support the hypothesis. Although political parties partly pursued consensually association-friendly policies, they often varied their support for welfare associations, whereby both right-wing and left-wing parties partly advocated and partly rejected association-friendly policies in a conflicting way, resulting in varied degrees of statutory support. Furthermore, supportive parties shared “congruent constituencies” with those associations supported by respective parties’ policies. These findings indicate that partisan policies indeed make a difference for associational welfare production, whereby parties of any political colour can support associational solutions. Furthermore, partisan policies vary according to the involved associations’ more or less “congruent constituencies,” which can pursue welfare production out of various particularistic interests, be they religious-cultural or socio-economic in nature.</p>

<p>The main purpose of this dissertation is to study whether the official rhetoric on the role that cooperatives could play in the quest for agricultural modernisation in Uganda have any resemblance with how farmers view the benefits and problem with cooperation. This question was motivated by the political initiative in the early 21st century to revive the cooperative movement in Uganda, a movement burdened with a history of political intervention and difficulties to adapt to a de-regulated agricultural market system. In the thesis, the move to revive the cooperative movement is linked to another more encompassing political initiative, that of the modernisation and commercialisation of small-scale agriculture. </p><p>The book consists of two empirical studies, where interviews and text analysis have been important research methods. By first analysing the rhetoric emanating from political institutions and donor agencies, the conclusion is drawn that cooperatives are seen primarily as an institutional device which, it is hoped, will fill spaces that have been abandoned by the state and not filled with private sector initiatives.</p><p>A focused case study of a dairy cooperative and a number of its members in Uganda shows that farmers’ expectations of the cooperative to some extent converge with those revealed in the first study: for example they expected the cooperative to provide a stable outlet for their production of milk. The interviews and quantitative analysis indicate that farmers’ preferences for <i>both</i> fast cash and a stable income can create incentives for members to free-ride on the collective efforts of their fellow members. This can be cumbersome in a competitive marketing situation where other buyers compete with the cooperative for the members’ produce. The cooperative can find it difficult to secure a necessary level of member commitment if members do not share a common code of conduct.</p>

The main purpose of this dissertation is to study whether the official rhetoric on the role that cooperatives could play in the quest for agricultural modernisation in Uganda have any resemblance with how farmers view the benefits and problem with cooperation. This question was motivated by the political initiative in the early 21st century to revive the cooperative movement in Uganda, a movement burdened with a history of political intervention and difficulties to adapt to a de-regulated agricultural market system. In the thesis, the move to revive the cooperative movement is linked to another more encompassing political initiative, that of the modernisation and commercialisation of small-scale agriculture. The book consists of two empirical studies, where interviews and text analysis have been important research methods. By first analysing the rhetoric emanating from political institutions and donor agencies, the conclusion is drawn that cooperatives are seen primarily as an institutional device which, it is hoped, will fill spaces that have been abandoned by the state and not filled with private sector initiatives. A focused case study of a dairy cooperative and a number of its members in Uganda shows that farmers’ expectations of the cooperative to some extent converge with those revealed in the first study: for example they expected the cooperative to provide a stable outlet for their production of milk. The interviews and quantitative analysis indicate that farmers’ preferences for both fast cash and a stable income can create incentives for members to free-ride on the collective efforts of their fellow members. This can be cumbersome in a competitive marketing situation where other buyers compete with the cooperative for the members’ produce. The cooperative can find it difficult to secure a necessary level of member commitment if members do not share a common code of conduct.

Scandinavian countries are usually assumed to be less disposed than other countries to involve associations as welfare producers. They are assumed to be so disinclined due to their strong statutory welfare involvement, which “crowds-out” associational welfare production; their ethnic, cultural and religious homogeneity, which leads to a lack of minority interests in associational welfare production; and to their strong working-class organisations, which are supposed to prefer statutory welfare solutions. These assumptions are questioned here, because they cannot account for salient associational welfare production in the welfare areas of housing and child-care in two Scandinavian countries, Sweden and Norway. In order to approach an explanation for the phenomena of associational welfare production in Sweden and Norway, some refinements of current theories are suggested. First, it is argued that welfare associations usually depend on statutory support in order to produce welfare on a salient level. Second, it is supposed that any form of particularistic interest in welfare production, not only ethnic, cultural or religious minority interests, can lead to associational welfare. With respect to these assumptions, this thesis supposes that political parties are organisations that, on one hand, influence statutory decisions regarding associational welfare production, and, on the other hand, pursue particularistic interests in associational welfare production. It is hypothesised that political parties attempt to mould statutory decisions on associational welfare provision in accordance with the interests of associations with “congruent constituencies.” The aim of this thesis is to examine whether political party preferences for certain welfare associations might help to explain variations in statutory support for associational welfare provision. Two questions are raised: First, do parties differ in their attempts to influence statutory subventions and regulations of associational welfare provision, resulting in more or less favourable conditions for associational welfare? Second, do parties systematically differ in their policies with regard to more or less “congruent” associations? In order to investigate these questions, a comparison is made between political parties’ attempts to influence statutory regulation and subvention of Norwegian and Swedish associations active in the areas of day-care and housing. For this purpose, information is drawn from public documents and official statistics in order to identify more or less favourable policies and related partisan policies. In addition, supportive parties and favoured associations are compared with regard to their “constituencies.” The findings partly support the hypothesis. Although political parties partly pursued consensually association-friendly policies, they often varied their support for welfare associations, whereby both right-wing and left-wing parties partly advocated and partly rejected association-friendly policies in a conflicting way, resulting in varied degrees of statutory support. Furthermore, supportive parties shared “congruent constituencies” with those associations supported by respective parties’ policies. These findings indicate that partisan policies indeed make a difference for associational welfare production, whereby parties of any political colour can support associational solutions. Furthermore, partisan policies vary according to the involved associations’ more or less “congruent constituencies,” which can pursue welfare production out of various particularistic interests, be they religious-cultural or socio-economic in nature.

Per tal de millorar la competitivitat, les empreses en general, i les cooperatives en particular, necessiten adequar les seves estratègies i la seva estructura organitzativa a l'entorn dinàmic de l'economia actual. L'èxit de les mateixes dependrà, en gran mesura, de la seva capacitat per a dotar-se dels recursos i habilitats adequades per aconseguir nous avantatges competitius, amb l'objectiu permanent del creixement i la diversificació.Aquest treballa d'investigació té com a finalitat, per una banda, intentar conèixer quins son els principals factors competitius i variables de gestió de les cooperatives que determinen el seu èxit; i per altra banda, contrastar si factors tals com la dimensió, la tecnologia i la innovació, la qualitat, la cooperació i els aspectes financers, expliquen una major eficiència i rendibilitat de les cooperatives.L'anàlisi s'aplica sobre una mostra de 108 almàsseres cooperatives de Catalunya. Per dur a terme l'estudi, hem utilitzat tant informació primària como secundaria. La informació primària s'ha obtingut a través d'una enquesta postal realitzada a les almàsseres cooperatives catalanes.La informació secundaria s'ha obtingut a través dels Comptes Anuals que aquestes entitats tenen la obligació de dipositar al Registre de Cooperatives.Els resultats obtinguts son consistents amb els recollits a la bibliografia al destacar la importància que per a l'èxit de les almàsseres cooperatives tenen les capacitats financeres, la posició tecnològica i la innovació, la qualitat, la dimensió, així com les noves tecnologies de la informació. / Para mejorar la competitividad, las empresas en general, y las cooperativas en particular, deben adecuar sus estrategias y su estructura organizativa al entorno dinámico de la economía actual.El éxito de las mismas dependerá, en gran medida, de su capacidad para dotarse de recursos y habilidades adecuadas para conseguir nuevas ventajas competitivas, con el objetivo permanente del crecimiento y la diversificación.Este trabajo de investigación tiene como finalidad, por un lado, tratar de conocer cuales son los principales factores competitivos y variables de gestión de las cooperativas que determinan su desarrollo y éxito; y por otro, contrastar si factores tales como la dimensión, la tecnología y la innovación, la calidad, la cooperación y los aspectos financieros, explican una mayor eficiencia y rentabilidad de las cooperativas.El análisis se aplica sobre una muestra de 108 almazaras cooperativas de Catalunya. Para llevar a cabo el estudio, hemos utilizado tanto información primaria como secundaria. La información primaria se ha obtenido a través de una encuesta postal realizada a las almazaras cooperativas catalanas. La información secundaria se ha obtenido a través de la Cuentas Anuales que dichas entidades tienen la obligación de depositar en el Registro de Cooperativas.Los resultados obtenidos son consistentes con los recogidos en la bibliografía al destacar la importancia que para el éxito de las almazaras cooperativas tienen las capacidades financieras, la posición tecnológica y la innovación, la calidad, la dimensión, así como las nuevas tecnologías de la información. / In order to improve the competitiveness, companies in general, and cooperatives in particular, must adapt their strategies and their organizational structure to the dynamic surroundings of the current economy. Their success will mostly depend on their ability of equipping themselves with suitable resources and skills in order to obtain new competitive advantages, within their main growth and diversification objective.The objective of this research work is, on one hand, to know which are the main competitive factors and management variables in cooperatives that determine their development and their success; and on the other hand, to contrast if factors such as dimension, technology and innovation, quality, cooperation and financial aspects, explain a greater cooperative efficiency and yield.The analysis is applied on a sample of 108 cooperative oil mills from Catalunya. In order to carry out the study, we have considered not only primary information, but also secondary information.The primary information has been obtained through a postal poll from the catalan cooperative oil mills. The secondary information has been obtained from the Annual Accounts that these organizations are under the obligation to deposit in the Registre de Cooperatives.The results are consistent with the gathered bibliography, since both emphasize the importance that the financial capacities, the technological position and the innovation, the capacities of marketing and the quality, the dimension as well as the new information technologies have for the success of the cooperative oil mills.

The primary goal of development is to alleviate poverty, and thus improve people's lives. Co-operatives around the world are becoming used more regularly as a vehicle for such development. However, as a result of economic pressures, co-operatives have changed over the years, reflecting a more business-like approach in order to compete in a competitive market. As a result certain types of co-operatives come under the banner of 'new wave' co-operatives. This dissertation examines two such co-operatives and analyses what social and economic benefits accrue to individuals as a result of participating in rural co-operatives. It also reflects upon the 'managed' status of the co-operative and its implication for members. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1999.

Belöningssystem och dess utformning diskuteras både i organisationer samt forskningsvärlden. Att utforma ett fungerande belöningssystem är problematiskt och det är många faktorer att ta hänsyn till. Butiken och dess miljö är en viktig faktor i ett dagligvaruhandelsföretag för att skapa bästa upplevelsen för kunden. Butikschefen ansvarar för att skapa detta samt för att butiken ska fungera systematiskt. Men hur är ett belöningssystem utformat till butikschefer i ett dagligvaruhandelsföretag? När belöningssystem utformas finns risken att det inte leder till önskande beteenden. I dessa fall kan en förändring ske, men vad är det egentligen som motiverar förändringen? Det är detta denna rapport har tagit sikte på samt det faktum att organisationen är kooperativa påverkar ledningens beslut och således belöningssystemet. Studien kommer således att undersöka: ”Hur är ett belöningssystem utformat till butikschefer i ett svenskt kooperativt dagligvaruhandelsföretag och vad motiverar en förändring av det?”. För att undersöka detta problem har principal-agentteorin tillämpats för att belysa problematiken som kan uppstå mellan ledning och butikschefer. Kooperativa teorier öppnar till en diskussion om det faktum att organsationen är kooperativ har påverkat utformningen av belöningssystemet. Teorier kring belöningssystem utgör en del i den teoretiska referensramen för att förstå hur belöningssystem är utformade samt vad som kan motivera en förändring av dem. För att besvara problemet har en kvalitativ metod tillämpats där en fallstudie på Kf Göta har genomförts. Faktumet att organisationen är kooperativ påverkade inte belöningssystemets utformning direkt. Dock påverkades belöningssystemet indirekt på grund av den bristande medlemskontrollen och att de kooperativa värderingarna genomsyrar de dagliga besluten. Den förevarande studiens slutsats är att det inte endast finns ett optimalt belöningssystem som tillfredsställer alla organisationer utan det bör anpassas efter det beteende som ledningen vill främja. Vi har således kommit fram till att det är viktigt att belöna ett beteende som leder till ett bra resultat snarare än att bara belöna ett bra resultat. / Incentive programs and its design is something that is discussed in organisations and academia. It’s problematic to design an effective incentive program and there’re many factors to consider. In a FMCG enterprise, the store and its environment is an important factor for creating the best experience for the customers. It’s the store manager's responsibility to make sure that everything in the store works in a systematic way. But how is a store manager incentive program designed in a FMCG enterprise? When incentive programs are designed, chances are that it does not lead to the behaviours that’s wanted. In these cases, a change may occur, but what actually motivates the change? This study has also reviewd if the fact that the organization is cooperative has affect the management decisions and therefore the incentive program. The study will examen "How is a incentive program designed to store managers in a Swedish cooperative FMCG enterprise and what motivates a change of it?”. To examine this problem, the principal-agent theory has been applied to illustrate the problem which can arise between management and store managers. Co-operative theories opens up to discussion about if the fact that the organisation is co-operatives has influenced the design of the incentive program. Theories about incentive programs is part of the theoretical framework for understanding how incentive programs are designed and what may motivate a change in them. To answer this problem, a qualitative method is applied and a case study on Kf Göta has been implemented. The fact that the organisation is co-operative did not affect the inceintive program design directly. However, it affected the incentive program indirectly because of the lack of member control and the co-operative values ​​permeate their daily decisions. The present study concludes that there is not only one optimal incentive program that suits all organisations, and it should be adapted to the behavior that management wants to promote. We have therefore concluded that it’s important to reward a behavior that leads to a good result rather than simply rewarding good results.

L'objectiu de la tesi és: Validar els criteris de Johnson i Johnson (1992) com a indicadors d'avaluació d'actituds cooperatives. Ens proposem definir, contrastar i avaluar noves eines d'actuació. Observant, analitzant i valorant com uns nens i nenes de 6 anys desenvolupen actituds cooperatives, a través d'unes activitats proposades per les mestres tutores, amb la intenció de validar en un nou context d'aplicació els indicadors citats per Johnson i Johnson (1992). Per centrar els objectius de la recerca hem tingut en compte una triple perspectiva: del professorat, de l' alumnat i de les activitats.Presentem l'anàlisi de les dades des de diferents instruments, d'acord amb els propòsits plantejats a la tesi en dos nivell d'anàlisis i amb la validació d'indicadors. La contrastació de les aportacions dels diferents instruments ens ha permès establir la triangulació de les dades que garanteix la fiabilitat dels indicadors i ens permet arribar a les conclusions esmentades en el últim capítol. / The objective of the thesis is to validate the criteria of Johnson and Johnson (1992) as evaluation indicators of cooperative attitudes.We propose to define, monitor and assess new performance tools by observing, analyzing and assessing as 6-year-old boys and girls develop cooperative attitudes through activities proposed by their teachers, with the goal of evaluating, in a new application context, the indicators cited in Johnson and Johnson (1992).To focus on the research objectives we have taken into account a triple perspective: that of the teaching staff, of the students and of the activities.We present the analysis of the data from the different instruments, in accordance with the aims set out in the thesis on two levels of analysis and with indicator validation. Monitoring the contributions from the different instruments has allowed us to perform a triangulation of the data, which guarantees the reliability of the indicators and allows us to reach the conclusions mentioned in the last chapter.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The family farms and small agroindustry family are of fundamental importance in rural development in Brazil, due to its role in food production and income generation. This study was conducted with the Central Cooperative Family Farming Ltda. - UNICOOPER, along with associated located in the municipalities in the northwest and Missions of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The Cooperative is highlighted by work being done as a facilitator of commercialization, seeking new markets for the commercialization of alternative products to soybeans from family farms in the region, besides participating in the More Food Program of the Federal Government - PAA for school lunches. This study aimed to analyze the organizational setting in which the network UNICOOPER operates, how it really benefits family farmers and agroindustries who is inserted, and how to overcome the challenges UNICOOPER in competitive contexts with sustainable development. The methodology consists of field research and literature. For data collect was carried out semi-structured interviews with leaders of UNICOOPER, associated cooperatives and actors involved. The configuration with which the Central Cooperative has been working is innovative because it is characterized by a network of cooperatives and cooperatives differs from the traditional form of action, which involves the organization of producers, with the help of technical assistance for the production of differentiated products. Through interviews, it was possible to identify the characteristics of each cooperative, competitive strategies, and factors limiting and potencializantes commercialization, motivating factors for entering the network, challenges and future prospects of the organization. There is evidence that in UNICOOPER, strategies are emerging, and has great competitive strength generic strategy is differentiation. The most a associated cooperatives emerged and is being made possible due to the PAA. The work that has UNICOOPER performs some challenges that need to be overcome for the continuity and viability of the network, such as trained staff, motivated, technical assistance, help in the legalization of agroindustry, management and logistics. The UNICOOPER, along with the associated cooperatives, enables the family farmers, helping organize them to increase production, enabling the commercialization of these products and thus contributing to the permanence of the same field, by generating income for their families. / A agricultura familiar e a pequena agroindústria familiar são de fundamental importância no desenvolvimento rural brasileiro, devido ao seu papel na produção de alimentos e geração de renda. Este estudo foi realizado com a Cooperativa Central da Agricultura Familiar Ltda - UNICOOPER, juntamente com as singulares sediadas nos municípios da região Noroeste e Missões do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. A Cooperativa se destaca pelo trabalho que vem realizando como facilitadora da comercialização, buscando novos mercados para a comercialização de produtos alternativos à soja oriundos da agricultura familiar da região, além de participar do Programa Mais Alimentos do Governo Federal PAA, para a merenda escolar. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a configuração organizacional em rede com a qual a UNICOOPER vem atuando, como à mesma realmente beneficia os agricultores e agroindústrias familiares que nela estão inseridos, e como a UNICOOPER supera os desafios em contextos competitivos com desenvolvimento sustentável. A metodologia é constituída por pesquisa de campo e pesquisa bibliográfica. Para a coleta de dados foi realizada entrevista semi-estruturada com dirigentes da UNICOOPER, singulares associadas e atores envolvidos. A configuração com a qual a Cooperativa Central vem atuando é inovadora, pois se caracteriza por uma rede de cooperativas e se diferencia das cooperativas tradicionais pela forma de atuação, que envolve a organização dos produtores, com auxilio da assistência técnica para a produção de produtos diferenciados. Através das entrevistas realizadas, foi possível identificar as características de cada cooperativa, estratégias competitivas, fatores limitantes e potencializantes da comercialização, fatores motivadores de inserção à rede, desafios e perspectivas futuras da organização. Há evidências de que, na UNICOOPER, as estratégias são emergentes, possui grande força competitiva e a estratégia genérica é de diferenciação. A maioria das singulares surgiu e está sendo viabilizadas em função do PAA. O trabalho que a UNICOOPER realiza possui alguns desafios que necessitam ser superados para a continuidade e viabilização da rede, tais como pessoal capacitado, motivado, assistência técnica, auxilio na legalização das agroindústrias, gestão e logística. A UNICOOPER, juntamente com as singulares, viabiliza os agricultores familiares, ajudando na organização dos mesmos para aumentar a produção, viabilizando a comercialização destes produtos e, consequentemente, contribuindo para a permanência dos mesmos no campo, através da geração de renda para suas famílias.