Enhancing Cooperative Capability: Report and Papers of Top Level Cooperative Leaders Conference, Japan 1983

Abstract

In most developing countries of Asia and Africa, cooperatives play a significant role in the process of socio-economic development but all too often they lack the vitality and dynamism so essential in a member-owned, people-centered movement. The cooperatives often perform functions dependent only on government sponsored programmes in respect of distribution of essential consumer goods or the procurement of agricultural commodities based on price support programmes ctc., but fall short of effective performance as institutional infrastructures of the people, which the members could use for finding solutions to their socio-economic problems. Often, governments tend to manage, control and direct cooperatives, leaving little or no room for member involvement and participation. At the other extreme cooperatives also continue to languish for lack of government support.