Vertical Markets and Cooperative Hierarchies The Role of Cooperatives in the Agri-Food Industry

Agricultural cooperatives have strong market positions in agri-food industries, in many countries. In recent decades we have witnessed significant changes in competition, distribution of market power and governance structures of agri-food chains. Between vertical market structures, cooperative principles, and hierarchical governance structures, cooperatives have been continuously adjusting in their strive for competitiveness, innovation, and survival. They have implemented alternative governance structures, employed new financial instruments, and invented novel organizational set-ups. Consequently, some members feel that the traditional cooperative traits are fading.

The competitiveness of agricultural cooperatives is puzzling to many observers, considering that cooperatives, at least in principle, deviate from the profit maximizing drive of the investor-owned firms. Furthermore little is known about the effect of governance structures of today’s cooperatives on the agri-food industry.

Vertical Markets and Cooperative Hierarchies comprises a selection of sixteen newly written essays that provide clarification to issues pertinent to contemporary cooperatives. Twenty three internationally recognized scholars of agricultural cooperatives, from a variety of disciplines such as industrial organization, finance, sociology, networks, and political theory, contributed theoretical work and empirical observations from different countries. The book is divided into five Parts: I. Cooperatives: between markets and hierarchies; II. Governance; III. Internal organizational issues; IV. Conduct of cooperatives; and V. Cooperative performance.