Publications

The Co-operative Option: A Natural Fit For Public Policy In Agriculture

Report To The Secretary Of State Andy Mitchell By The Minister's Advisory Committee On Co-operatives

May 23, 2002

Summary And Recommendations

Today, the agricultural and agri-food industry is characterized by increasing global competition, rapid technological and market change, along with increased environmental and financing requirements. One of the main challenges is to engage farmers to successfully compete in this new environment and capture new opportunities.

The co-operative approach can be an effective tool for the continued future success and prosperity of farmers. One unique attribute of the co-operative structure is that it provides a systematic way for producers to come together to pursue common interests. Co-operatives have demonstrated their ability to help farmers pursue common interest and achieve economic benefits that would not be possible individually; they have allowed farmers to share the risks and also the benefits.

Individually, farmers' ability to face challenges as described above can be restricted by their limited resources, both human and financial. However, by working together through a co-operative business, farmers can improve their competitive position and income situation by:

Achieving economies of scale to improve their ability to utilize advanced technologies or specialized services;
Capturing new market opportunities;
Providing efficient product supply and marketing coordination, and better integration in the agri-products value chain;
Participating in value-added activities beyond the farm gate.

These benefits can clearly contribute to innovation and renewal in the sector. Farmers joint business activities also contribute to mitigate or pool risks that individuals would face. Their engagement up the value chain allows them to capture some benefits accruing from value-added activities and contributes to diversify and potentially stabilize their income.

Co-operatives also bring benefits to rural communities. Co-operative ownership is in the community and surplus generated by the co-operative business is returned locally. They are an important contributor to job creation and economic activity in rural areas.

However, a co-operative is not formed spontaneously and is not a quick fix. Co-operatives need nurturing and mentoring, especially in the start up phase. They also need on-going leadership and management skills and expertise. Therefore one key challenge is to support and enable farmers to form co-operatives and ensure their on-going prosperity.

Another critical and growing issue is the capitalization of co-operatives. The agri-food industry is more and more capital-intensive, particularly in value-added processing. This constitutes an even bigger challenge for co-operatives, as they rely on member investment and surplus generated from operations for equity capital. In addition, with the aging population, retiring farmers are more likely to withdraw their share capital from co-operatives, which imposes more financial challenges for co-operatives.

In building the Agriculture Policy Framework (APF), government has pledged to put in place a comprehensive policy which ensures farmers have the tools to be competitive, address issues and capture new opportunities.

In the pursuit of these objectives, we recommend that government provide an environment that facilitates farmers' engagement, through joint business ventures such as co-operative businesses, that will help them achieve an improved competitive position and capture new opportunities.

We recommend that the APF build within its policy design measures to help address gaps identified herein, notably:

To provide comprehensive support for the creation and development of co-operatives, to ensure that farmers have access to adequate information as well as expertise on the co-operative form of organization;
1. This could be achieved by supporting a network of professional business management and co-operative expertise. As an example, programs such as the Farm Consultation services could be expanded to include a particular co-operative expertise available to farmers.
2. Examination of government funding abroad, such as USDA programs, provides some indications of government options to fund such initiatives as "Centres for co-operative development" with funding on a competitive basis. The aim of such initiatives is to provide support for the development of new co-operatives and improve the operations of existing ones.
To support strategies that help co-operatives obtain adequate capitalization to successfully compete;

CARD funding will provide useful information on options for capitalization strategies. The Coopérative fédérée has put forward a tax deferral proposal which will be considered as well. Other avenues may include the formation of a pool of capital that would serve to capitalize co-operatives.

Policy Context

Agri-food is a major part of the Canadian economy, providing one in seven jobs across the country. Today, the agricultural and agri-food industry is characterized by increasing global competition, rapid technological and market change, increased environmental and financing requirements.

In order to respond to these challenges and position the sector to capture new opportunities, the Government of Canada is working with provincial governments and in collaboration with the agriculture sector to develop an integrated Agriculture Policy Framework. The following excerpt from the Agriculture Policy Framework consultation paper provides an overview of the context within which this framework is evolving:

In June 2001, Agriculture Ministers pledged to meet today's challenges by jointly developing "an agriculture policy that is comprehensive, integrated and ensures that farmers have the tools to address issues, be competitive and capture opportunities in the area of science, food safety and environmental stewardship."
The goal of this policy is to foster an economic and social advantage for Canada to help ensure Canadian producers and agri-food companies not only meet these challenges, but capture the opportunities they present for continued prosperity.

Co-ops are a significant player in agri-food; There are 1,300 agriculture co-ops across Canada employing 36,000 people and generating over $19 billion per year in revenue. Co-operatives have been formed by farmers to meet their common needs; needs that are either not met by other types of business or that are better served by co-operative structures. They provide a means for farmers to engage in economic activities beyond the farm gate.

This report from the Advisory Committee on Co-operatives provides examples of how farmers use co-operatives to improve their competitiveness and prosperity. The report also describes some issues faced by the agriculture co-op sector, including challenges by producers wanting to develop new co-operatives. Finally, the report makes some recommendations about how government can work with the agricultural co-operatives to support the goals of the APF.

Co-operative Business: A Tool For Farmers

Individually, farmers' ability to face challenges as described above can be very often restricted by their limited resources, both human and financial. However, together through a co-operative business, farmers can engage in economic activities which improve their competitive position and income situation by:

Achieving economies of scale to improve their ability to utilize advanced technologies or specialized services;
Capturing new market opportunities;
Providing efficient product supply and marketing coordination, and better integration in the agri-products value chain;
Participating in value-added activities beyond the farm gate.

Here are some examples showing how farmer-owned co-operatives have been used as a tool to help farmers improve their efficiencies and be more competitive:

Achieving economies of scale to improve farmers' ability to utilize advanced technologies or specialized services
Farmers benefit from pooling their resources to better utilize specialized machinery for better efficiencies and at reduced costs - e.g. Québec machinery co-ops (CUMA) and Kipling Farm Machinery Co-operative (SK).

Some farmers get together to access improved technologies to better meet market demands; examples include: Organic Milling Co-operative (B.C) enabling farmers to afford high cost milling equipment that would be otherwise unaffordable. Parkland Industrial Hemp Growers Co-operative (MAN) has been able to access technology from abroad and is in the process of setting up the first hemp processing plant in North America.

Farmers are involved in agriculture research through co-operative networks and alliances. The Co-operative Research Farms (CRF) are an excellent example of an innovative, international research network that was created to foster animal feed research and to enhance farm profitability. The CRF is owned by seven regional co-operatives in Canada, the United States and Europe.

Canadian co-operatives have traditionally played an important function by keeping the cost of farm input low, thus helping producers increase their farm net income. Co-operatives are key suppliers of animal feed, fertilizers and chemicals, seeds, machinery and other agri-supplies and to some extent, petroleum and building materials. In 1999, 384,000 producers were members of 250 farm supply co-operatives that employed close to 6,100 people, most of them in rural communities. Together, co-operatives had a total of $3.8 billion in farm supply sales.
Helping farmers to capture new market opportunities
Farmers wanting to develop new, emerging markets face a number of costs and risks. When they act as a group, they can reduce cost, share the risks and benefits, and very importantly, access more specialized resources.

Alberta elk producers formed a co-operative (Alberta Wapiti Products Co-operative) to coordinate processing and marketing of elk. It has allowed the group to have better supply coordination and they also benefit from expertise from a professional marketing agent.

The Alberta Honey Producers Co-operative has developed value-added operations to process and market producers' wax.
Providing efficient product supply and marketing coordination, and better integration in the agri-products value chain
Concentration of markets mean, for example at the retail level, that farmers feel increasingly pressured by the preference of larger buyers to deal with fewer larger suppliers. The Georgian Bay Growers' Co-operative (ON) was set up to respond to this market requirement in the apple industry. By pooling products, the co-op structure provided farmers with bargaining power and allowed smaller producers to access these markets. There are numerous other examples of farmers marketing their produce collectively to better meet market demand; e.g. P.E.I. Vegetable Growers Co-op, Lethbridge and Area Horticultural Co-operative (Nfld), etc.

A recent article in the Halifax Herald regarding the organic food market re-enforces the need for farmers to work together to meet requirements from retailers such as Loblaws, these retailers are centralizing their buying practices, making it harder for individual local growers to access markets. According to Janine Gibson, from the Canadian Organic Growers, in order to develop retail relationship and ensure there are no gaps in availability, farmers need to establish a co-operative and organize their efforts. This is starting to happen.

Using E-commerce, a group of Nova Scotia producers (Annapolis Valley Farmers Co-operative - NS) are providing fresh products to consumers via the WEB.
Participating in value-added activities beyond the farm gate
Among Canada's largest agri-food businesses, Coopérative fédérée de Québec and its 100 local co-ops, and Agropur (QC) are very dynamic and influential industry players respectively in hog and poultry processing and farm supplies, as well as in dairy products. These two co-operatives, through their value-added activities provide farmers with economic benefits.

Farm Fresh Poultry Co-operative (ON) is a recent example of farmers forming a co-operative to engage in value-added processing in order to reap the economic benefit and to allow producers to be stakeholders in the industry. This co-operative was formed in 1997 by a group of chicken producers in the Newmarket-area enabling them to process their chickens and derive increased benefit from the value chain.

Farmers also gain by channelling their investment collectively, through a co-operative in order to form strategic alliances with key industry stakeholders. The Manitoba Egg Producers Co-operative was formed by a group of egg producers who decided to invest in value-added activities. In 1999 it entered into a three-way partnership with two other egg industry leaders. This is allowing farmers to be more influential in the development of the industry, including science and bio-products.
Other key features that demonstrate the positive impact of agriculture co-operatives in Canada and particularly in rural areas:
Co-ops can channel farmers investment to the industry - Some 1,300 agriculture co-ops across Canada have $1.6 billion invested by farmers.

Co-operatives have strong roots and lasting presence. According to a recent Québec study, the survival rate of co-ops is almost twice as long as other types of business. This is indicative of the resilience of co-operatives which pursue objectives that are in line with member needs for products or services.

They provide a means for farmers to gain local control. One important impact is the fact that surplus generated by the co-operative business is returned locally. Co-operatives contribute to the rural economy and employment. For example, Coopérative fédérée de Québec and its network ranks 4^th overall in terms of volume of business in Québec and 7^th in terms of employment; and it's all in rural areas.

Rural and farm communities often have a common purpose. And the co-operative form of enterprise can bring together farmers and rural citizens to achieve common goals. A recent example of this is Mornington Heritage Cheese and Dairy Co-operative (ON) which was established to take over a century old cheese factory. It involved an initiative of a small group of rural (non-farming) residents and farmers aimed at keeping local control of a local enterprise and maintaining employment. It attracted 25 producer members, 60 community investors. The co-operative produces 12 specialty cheeses.

A newly established co-operative, LeRoy Agra-Pork Co-op was formed by grain producers who invested in partnership project with a local hog producer. They invested in re-building hog barns (that had burned down) to be used by the hog producer. This project will enable both partners to share the risks and benefits from hog revenues. Grains producers will also secure a market for their grain and they will diversify their income through returns from the leased barns. And this brings also economic benefit to the community - 25 new jobs.

In the attachment, there is more detailed information on these co-operative examples and more.

Ensuring The Long-Term Competitiveness Of Canada's Agri-food Co-operative Sector: Critical Steps And Issues

The examples above show the benefits a co-operative structure brings to farmers. How did these co-operatives come into being ? What are the critical factors that come into play in the development of these co-operatives ? How can we ensure the long-term competitiveness and vitality of the sector? And what role should the sector, government and other stakeholders play?

Even if a need or an opportunity exists for farmers to take action collectively, co-operative development does not happen spontaneously. Tom Marwick ¹, an expert in co-operative development, identifies a set of conditions that enables co-ops to develop and grow: This is also echoed in a recent study by Côté, Fulton and Gibbings ².

1-	The co-operative sector needs to play a key role in supporting co-operative development.
	The co-op movement's role is key, by providing leadership and in offering experience and know how. Involvement of existing co-operatives create a supportive network for co-operative development.
But:	A number of factors challenge the co-op movement, specially long standing co-operatives that compete directly with other business corporations:
	Globalization of the market place and information technology has increased the pace of change and imposed more pressures on co-operatives to adapt; their member based ownership structure is challenged to respond more quickly than was the case in the past. Population factors - changes in demographics, aging population, changes in values, etc, - all of these elements challenge co-ops. Younger members have different needs and expectations than older members. Commitment among various membership groups is also different. Rural depopulation imposes more significant challenges on co-ops as they have traditionally been more present in rural areas.
	These are some of the factors behind the challenges facing existing co-ops. The fact that these co-ops have been preoccupied with their own issues also means that fewer resources are available to support the development of other co-operatives.
2-	Legislation, programming and government policy in general must be on a level playing field compared to other forms of business organization. At the same time the role co-operatives play in relation to government priorities must also be considered.
	Based on experience in Canada and abroad, government plays an important role in the development of a strong co-op movement: 1- by providing framework legislation recognizing the specificity of co-operatives; and 2- by stimulating co-operative development. Government - co-operative sector interface is also a critical element to ensure responsive policies.
	The new Canada Cooperatives Act provides a modernized legal framework for the incorporation of co-operatives.
But:	There is a lack of awareness of co-operatives within the federal government. This was confirmed by a survey of senior federal officials' knowledge of co-operatives ³. The survey found that senior officials have little exposure to the co-operative sector, except perhaps for experience with financial co-operatives. Increasingly, it is becoming clear that officials would benefit from a greater understanding of the co-operative structure in the policy and program delivery areas where this structure could help address priorities of government.
	As part of the Co-operatives Secretariat's new objectives, its policy research efforts will focus on creating better understanding of the unique contribution of co-operatives and linking this unique role to the public interest.
3-	The "development community" and the population in general must understand and have access to information regarding the co-operative model and its application.
	Information regarding the co-op advantage and how to set up a co-op is important if the citizens are to make more use of this business structure.
But:	Very few information resources are available to assist in setting up a co-operative. One challenge is the limited knowledge of the co-op model among business advisors.
	The New Generation Co-operative (NGC) pilot projects funded through the Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development (CARD) program also concluded that information support needs to be developed to make the co-operative model more visible and to promote awareness and stimulate demand.
4-	Specific functions and activities that are central to the actual process of co-operative development must be performed and, associated services and support provided.
	One other key aspect to help make sure a co-operative development project has every chance of success is providing assistance in various stages of development. This encompasses business development and organization development, the latter being more specific to co-operatives.
But:	Diminishing resources with expert knowledge in co-op development is an issue. There is a lack of capacity to support co-op development.
	Here again, the NGC pilot projects identified the need for assistance - on going mentoring, consultations and technical assistance to ensure success of co-operative start ups. This suggests the need for a network of expertise that can be easily accessible.

Specific Issues Faced by Established Co-operatives

Established co-operatives also face issues, particularly in the context of the changing environment of the business -characterized by fast paced change, and changing member needs. One critical aspect of the current agri-food system is globalization and the increasingly capital-intensive, value-added process. Co-operatives see capitalization as a challenge, more so than investor-owned firms. They rely mostly on members capital and surplus from the operations to capitalize the business. One particular aspect of this challenge is the aging farming population. As farmers retire, they are more likely to withdraw their share capital which will create an additional pressure to replace this capital. In addition to this particular issue, co-operatives will have an on-going pressure to raise capital in order to expand the business. These challenges are seen as limiting the ability of even large, well-established co-operatives to maintain their competitiveness.

Two recent initiatives need to be highlighted. First the recent proposition from the Coopérative fédérée de Québec to provide tax deferral on patronage dividends re-invested in the co-operative by members. This is seen as a tool to help co-operatives address this specific challenge. This proposal was received positively by the Québec government, and has since been tabled with the federal government.

The second important initiative concerns the second phase of a co-operative sector project funded through CARD; more specifically, one of the three priority areas of this project is to look at capitalization strategies that would assist co-operatives to successfully compete and prosper in the new global era.

Respective Roles Of The Sector, Government

The previous section, while providing an overview of key co-operative development issues, points at some specific roles for the sector and for government.

In a general sense, the co-operative sector has the responsibility for leadership and know-how for co-operative development. The government role is first, to provide framework legislation that will enable co-operatives to perform their role. Second, with respect to provision of information and technical assistance, and co-operative development capacity, the report from Côté, Fulton and Gibbings ⁴ points at the need for government to participate in partnerships to build and support a dynamic resource network that facilitates co-operative development. It cites as an example the Co-operative Development Centres in the United States which are partly funded by the USDA - Rural Business Services.

In Québec, Regional Co-operative Development Centres (CDRs) provide co-operative development expertise. These CDRs are driven by the co-op sector with partnership funding from the province.

Conclusion

The Advisory Committee on Co-operatives concluded that the new direction set out in the APF would benefit from a strong and prosperous Agricultural Co-operative Sector. In particular, they see co-operatives as one tool to ensure that producers continue to be active participants in the agriculture and agri-food industry. To achieve this vision, the Committee unanimously supports the recommendations set out at the front of this report.

Agriculture co-op examples

B.C.

Organic Milling Co-operative: started in 1999. Process grain (spelt) market it to specialty markets (organic). Specialized equipment can be afforded by a group of farmers (which would otherwise be too costly to buy individually). Also the co-op allows farmers to cater to larger volumes required by customers.

Glen Valley Organic Farm Co-op: started in 1998. Blends farming - production of organic foods with community shared agriculture.

Alberta

Alberta Wapiti Products Co-operative started in 2001 - NGC. Coordinates processing and marketing of elk. Can offer consistent quality elk meet on a continual basis. Help develop a new market - emerging industry. Co-op came out of necessity.

Benefit from expertise from professional marketer.

Alberta Honey Producers Co-operative: started in 1940. Process and market honey products. In 1994, the co-op developed value-added operations to process and market producers' wax.

Saskatchewan

LeRoy Agra-Pork Co-op: started in 2001. It was formed by grain producers who invested in partnership project with a local hog producer. They invested in re-building hog barns (that had burned down) to be used by the hog producer. This project will enable both partners to share the risks and benefits from hog revenues. Grains producers will also secure a market for their grain and they will diversify their income through returns from the leased barns. And this brings also economic benefit to the community - 25 new jobs.

Red Deer Cattle Co-op is a calf-marketing co-op formed by a small group of ranchers. Its objective is to build on shared experience of cattle producers - members to develop production standards to ensure consistent, quality supply of beef. Its medium term goal is to market a superior beef product under the name of Precision Beef.

Kipling Farm Machinery Co-operative ltd formed in 1996. It is used to share machinery and labour for seeding and harvesting. Costs for purchasing, operating and maintenance is shared on a per acre basis. Members contribute labor and expertise. By pooling resources, all members benefit from cost and time savings. The co-op enabled farmers to acquire more specialized precision equipment for efficiency gains that would not be possible otherwise.

Machinery costs before: $20-40/acre - with the co-op: $14/acre

Manitoba

Parkland Industrial Hemp Growers Co-operative was started in 1998 to assist farmers who wanted to diversify into new crops to market hemp. In 2000 it began processing hemp fibre. With help from outside technical expertise it is now building the first industrial hemp processing plant in North America. Processing hemp is seen by farmers as a way to secure the market.

Manitoba Egg Producers Co-operative a NGC was established in 1997 as a vehicle for egg producers to invest in value-added processing of eggs and form strategic alliances with other industry players. By participating in downstream activities, producers would obtain higher returns for their products and have a greater influence on the processing industry. The attraction of a NGC model was its ability to generate large amounts of capital and guarantee consistent supply of eggs through member delivery commitments. In 1999 it entered into a three-way partnership with two other egg industry leaders. Farmers, through this co-op, had become an equal partner in Trilogy Egg Products inc. with Michael Foods (largest US egg processor) and Canadian Innovatech inc. (large Canadian egg processor, which develops and markets innovative value-added egg products). This venture allowed the co-op to share risks with other mature industry players.

Manitoba Sugar Beet Grower's Association - lessons learned from this now defunct group. Farmers had been producing under contract with processors. With low sugar prices driven by international market distorted by subsidies (Europe and US). The Association could not undertake trade actions because it did not have a stake in the sugar industry - no stake in industry therefore no voice. The Association realized that had they formed a co-op and become involved further up the value chain, they would have higher returns and would possibly have been able to save the industry. The Association believe that the co-op structure would have given them necessary control over the industry.

From that experience, members has formed a not-for-profit corporation "Nu Gen Ventures inc." to look at alternative crops and ultimately develop sustainable agriculture industry in Manitoba. The long term goal is to operate a NGC structure as part of a coordinated value chain that will increase producers' returns, create rural economic development and provide long-term stability for producers.

Ontario

Farm Fresh Poultry Co-operative started in 1997. Chicken producers formed a NGC to be able to process their chickens. They own a 24,000 square feet facility through which 40 members provide chickens. There was high interest and buy in the project from the start. The aim was to enable producers to gain control in the processing and benefit from the economic value that processing add to the value of the birds. Gives producers an alternative to the US trend of producers producing chickens under restrictive contract with large processors.

Progressive Pork Producers Co-operative 500 hog producers are members of this NGC started in 2000. The co-op is looking at ways to add value to its members' products, enable them to diversify their sources of revenues and stabilize their income.

The co-op will soon open a $50 million hog processing plant - to process one million hogs annually. The co-op is dedicated to high quality and safe foods and members are committed to that end also.

Mornington Heritage Cheese and Dairy Co-operative established to take over a century old cheese factory. It involved a small group of rural non-farming residents and farmers to keep local control and maintain employment. It attracted 25 producers members, 60 community investors and produces 12 specialty cheeses.

Georgian Bay Growers' Co-operative established in 1993 by 22 apple growers. The co-op provides facility for storage, sorting, packing and shipping of apples on demand. Responds to consolidation at the retail level retailers prefer buying from a central location rather than dealing with many small suppliers. The co-op approach allows smaller producers to access these markets.

Québec

Coopérative Fédérée de Québec - 80 years of existence. A network of around 100 local co-operatives involved in a wide range of products and services for farmers throughout Québec and some in neighbouring provinces. The Coopérative fédérée provides wholesale functions in support of local co-ops. It is also involved in meat processing, namely through its subsidiaries Olymel and Flamingo which processes at various stages pork and poultry.

Coop fédérée and its network has grown over the years, and is now one of the largest stakeholder in agriculture in Québec and in Canada. It has a large impact in rural areas and ranks among the top 7 enterprises in Québec in terms of revenues and employment. It is also part of broader networks or alliances that enable the co-op to be more efficient and competitive. One is the Inter-provincial Co-operatives Ltd (wholesale products across Canada) and the other is the Co-operative Research Farms (see below).

Patronage dividends paid in last 5 years: $50 million

37,000 members, 14,000 employees and $3.7 billion in revenues

Agropur - 60 years of existence. Processes and markets dairy products. It has grown aver the years to become among the Top 3 businesses in dairy processing in Canada. It has a strong business structure and also puts a large emphasis on the democratic structure with its delegate and animators structure (and member education) which enables the co-op to keep its 4,700 members informed and engaged.

The co-op is providing economic benefits to farmers: in the last 20 years Agropur returned $330 million to members in patronage dividends, and in the last 5 years it returned the equivalent of $1.81/hl of milk farmers delivered.

CUMAs (machinery co-ops) started in 1991; now there are 47 machinery co-ops with over 1,000 farmer members in Québec. Goal is to have a legal entity that will facilitate sharing of machinery, thereby reducing capital cost and ultimately total machinery costs by farmers. Reduces significantly machinery cost: grain seeding; for one farmer alone: $94/ha

and for five in a CUMA: $25/ha.

Nova Scotia

Annapolis Valley Farmers Co-operative - sells fresh produce on the WEB

P.E.I.

P.E.I. Vegetable Growers Co-op - in place since 1971 - has 40 members - market root crops . Grades and package and sell on the Island and abroad

Newfoundland

Lethbridge and Area Horticultural Co-operative - recently established to assist farmers to serve grocery stores with local produce

Canada (multi-province) wide co-operative initiatives

Co-operative Research Farms - creating opportunities through research and development. The Co-operative Research Farms (CRF) are an excellent example of an innovative, international research network that was created to foster animal feed research and to enhance farm profitability. The CRF is owned by seven regional co-operatives in Canada, the United States and Europe. Co-op Atlantic, the Coopérative fédérée de Québec and Federated Co-operatives Limited are the Canadian partners. Members of the CRF have worked together for over 47 years, conducting livestock and poultry nutrition and management related research for the benefit of their farmer-owners. Through the pooling of human and financial resources, the members and their affiliates have access to state-of-the-art information.

Other potential examples:

Gay Lea Foods Co-operative: Innovation - new investment - leading edge of technology

La coopérative agricole des Appalaches

Example of potential

Ethanol

Farmers being engaged in value-added: commit investment and product (example in Minnesota: Western Producer Feb.7 2002)

Community supported agriculture

^1. A Framework for Co-operative Development, Thomas Marwick and associates, June 1998.

^2. Canadian Agricultural Co-operatives: Critical Success Factors in the 21^st Century, October 2000

^3. Senior Public Servants' Knowledge and Perceptions of Co-operatives, Compas inc. 1995 and 2001.

^4. Canadian Agricultural Co-operatives: Critical Success Factors in the 21^st Century, October 2000