Paths to Cooperative Survival: Structure, Strategy and Regeneration of Fruit and Vegetables Cooperatives in Almería and Valencia, Spain

Abstract

Two important Spanish fruit and vegetable (F&V) producing areas of Almería and Valencia in which agricultural cooperatives and smallholder and family farmers play a vital role are compared. Their F&V cooperatives have distinct development paths and have adopted different structures and strategies, attributable to historical, cultural and political circumstance, infrastructure, regulation and policy measures and/or international exposure. In considering the factors which contribute to agricultural cooperative success or failure, persistent atomization is often cited as inhibiting the ability of cooperatives to thrive. While not discounting that economies of scale may be important, we argue for analysing agricultural cooperative activity using a neo‐endogenous approach (a mix of exogenous and endogenous factors wherein local level characteristics and actors interact with external or global forces), combined with insights from path dependency theory and a dynamic lifecycle approach. Agricultural cooperatives are presented as dynamic entities, capable of renewal, redeployment, regeneration and recombination.

Is there life after degeneration? The organizational life cycle of cooperatives under a ‘grow‐or‐die’ dichotomy

“…In addition, a smaller but growing line of research has highlighted cooperatives' potential to regenerate; that is, to revive cooperative values and re-assemble democratically-structured forms of decision making as a reaction to degeneration (e.g. Ng and Ng 2009, Diamantopoulos 2012, Giagnocavo et al 2014, Storey et al 2014, Narvaiza et al 2017. These studies illustrate how cooperatives can regenerate by mobilizing resources to trigger organizational change, such as by reinforcing a culture of discussion and open criticism and strengthening members' active participation.…”

Internationalization Business Models and Patterns of SMEs and MNEs: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study in the Agrifood Sector

“…The cooperation in this study shows how entering into strategic alliances, collaborations and integration allows the company to reposition and stay competitive by increasing exports [124].…”

Factores clave en el éxito de las empresas agrarias: El caso de las cooperativas hortofrutícolas en España

“…Sin embargo, las limitaciones del presente trabajo impiden abordar el tema en mayor profundidad. Se puede consultar a Vidal (1999), Sabaté (2002) Actualmente, existe una gran preocupación por el estudio de la rentabilidad y la eficacia económica de las empresas agrarias (Adenaeuer y Heckelei, 2011), dado que estas se encuentran en una situación de crisis estructural que puede suponer su desaparición a medio plazo (Giagnocavo et al, 2012). La gran mayoría de trabajos empíricos realizados en el sector agrario se han centrado en un estudio descriptivo de ratios para tratar de determinar la situación económica y financiera de estas entidades.…”