International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP)

Agricultural cooperatives enable producers to realize economic benefits that they could not otherwise achieve alone. Groups of agricultural producers improve their bargaining power in the marketplace, reduce costs by pooling capital and resources through cooperative enterprises, and make expensive services, such as marketing, that are unavailable to individuals accessible. Through cooperatives, farmers can achieve economies of scale, by reducing the unit costs of inputs and services, enabling farmers to focus on producing goods rather than finding buyers and suppliers. Cooperatives also enable farmers to improve product and service quality and reduce risks. Agricultural cooperatives can allow farmers to address common problems, develop new market opportunities or expand existing markets. Agricultural cooperatives empower farmers and improve their position in the marketplace.

The Committee on Agricultural Cooperatives is a permanent forum devoted to strengthening the position of cooperatives in the agricultural sector and tp lobbying for a pro-cooperative policy environment at national and international levels.

Aims and functions

Officers of the Committee 2008-2010:

President: Marcus Borgstrom (Finland)
Vice-Presidents: Gaston Rico (Uruguay); Andrwe Hepelwa (Tanzania); and Mr. ChoiI, Won Byung (Korea Republic)

IFAP Message for International Day of Cooperatives 2008: Confronting Climate Change Through Cooperative Enterprise

Company presentation, HKScan, Chairman of the Board Marcus H. Borgström

The Norwegian Cooperative Societies Act, Hildegunn Gjengedal, Federation of Norwegian Agricultural Cooperatives

The united voice of farmers and their cooperatives in the European Union, Elisabeth Gauffin, Vice President Cogeca

Social capital - The Danish Case, Niels Lindberg Madsen, Danish Agricultural Council

Guidelines for Cooperative Legislation (second revised edition)
by Hagen Henry. Joint ILO and COPAC publication, 2005 (in pdf format)

7 July: "Cooperative Values and Principles for Corporate Social Responsibility "
Message of the IFAP for the International Day of Cooperatives 2007

1 July 2006: "Peace-building through Cooperatives"
Message of the IFAP for the International Day of Cooperatives 2006

What are the advantages of cooperatives? IFAP Fact Sheet. 2006

Message of the IFAP for the International Day of Cooperatives 2005.
2 July 2005.

COPAC Open Forum Coops and Fair Trade, Berlin, Germany. 21st January 2005

IFAP DCC Seminar on Cooperatives, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 4-6 2004.

- Introducción (Spanish only)
- Resumen (Spanish only)

ICAO/IFAP joint seminar on "Promotion of agricultural Co-operatives and

enabling policy environment" presentation by Fabienne Derrien, Policy Officer.

Warsaw, Poland, 21st September 2004.

- What should be considered in promoting agricultural Cooperatives? (pdf) by Chan Ho Choi, ICA
- Summary

Co-operative College/ILO/ICA: Coops and Legislation:

Guide to ILO Recommendation 193

FAO document on “New strategies for mobilizing capital in agricultural

cooperatives” Part 1(pdf ) and Part 2 (pdf )

FAO document on “Computerizing agricultural cooperatives: a practical

guide”

ILO/COPAC Publication on Cooperatives and the Millennium Development

Goals

ILO and ICA Regional Workshops on “The Role of Cooperatives in Designing and Implementing Poverty Reduction Strategies”, Tanzania, June 2003 in Africa and Thailand, November 2003 in Asia.