Cooperation refers to working together with others for a common purpose. It involves collective action directed at shared goals where all participants have a stake. Cooperatives are organizations owned and run by their members to provide services at cost rather than for profit. They allow groups like farmers, consumers and workers to pool resources for things like marketing, purchasing and financial services. The key principles of cooperatives include voluntary membership, democratic control by members, member economic participation, autonomy and education.

2. Cooperation is derived from the latin word ‘co-
operari’- “co” means “with” and “operari” means
“to work”. In other words cooperation means
working together with others for a common
purpose. Example dairy cooperatives and milk soc.
“ An association of a number of persons for a
common benefit especially in carrying on some
branch of trade or industry, the profit being
shared, as dividend among the members”

3.  Cooperation is joint or collective action of people directed
towards some specified goals in which there is common
interest or hope of getting some reward. Such cooperation
may be voluntary or involuntary, direct or indirect, formal
or informal, but always there is a combination of efforts
towards a specific end in which all the participants have a
stake, real or imagined.
 Example : People voluntary associated working together in
terms of equality to eliminate their economic exploitation
by middlemen i.e marketing of Fruits ,farmers by
landlords, money lenders or by traders.

4.  The objective of cooperating in this way is the
“economic and social betterment of the persons who
so cooperate”
 It helps the weaker persons from exploitation.
 It helps them to gain the advantages of large scale
operation, while maintaining their independence.

5.  It’s owned and financed by its members, who also are
its customers .
 It’s purpose is to provide services to members at the
lowest possible cost not to generate the highest
possible return to investors.
 It’s controlled by members, usually on a one-person,
one-vote basis.
 Profits are distributed to members on how much they
use the cooperative, not on how much they have
invested in it.

6.  The cooperative structure in india consists of different
constituents. At the bottom of this structure are the
primary societies which render various types of
services
 80 percent of cooperative societies is concerned with
agriculture.
 Most of the societies about 60% deal with credit only.
Thus a large majority of primary societies are related to
agriculture and credit. They perform various function
such as credit, irrigation, marketing and transport.

7.  Credit societies
a) Agriculture credit societies(Rural)
b) Non-Agriculture credit societies(Urban)
 Non-credit societies
a) Agriculture Non-credit (Rural)
b) Non-Agriculture non-credit(Urban)

8.  It is an organisation for the poor, illiterate and
unskilled people.
 It is an institution of mutual help and sharing.
 It softens the class conflicts & reduces the social
cleavages.
 It overcame the constraints of agrricultural
development.
 It creates conducive environment for small and cottage
industries.

9.  Coop-education and training
 Agricultural credit cooperatives (Production and
investment)
 Non agricultural credit cooperatives (Urban ares)
 Cooperative marketing
 Sugar cooperatives
 Cooperative spinning mills
 Dairy cooperatives
 Fisheries cooperatives
 Housing cooperative
 Poultry cooperatives.

10.  Producers cooperatives: Concerned with agricultural &
industrial production, should consist of
a) Farming cooperatives
b) Industrial cooperatives
c) Processing Cooperatives
 Marketing cooperatives: Dealing with marketing of
agricultural produce, comprising
a) Sale and purchase societies
b) Agricultural marketing societies
c) Supply unions (Milk, Ghee, Poultry and Livestock)

11.  Service cooperatives: Concerned with rendering of
services to their members, these are
a) PACCS, DCBs and Central cooperative banks
b) Land development banks
c) Housing Cooperatives
d) Dairy cooperatives, fisheries coop., transport,
education and training cooperatives.

12.  Multipurpose Cooperatives: these cooperatives
undertakes all functions, activities concerned with
financing of crop production, sale of crops, supply of
farmers, need for agricultural inputs and house hold
requisites, milk collection centre, encouragement of
subsidiary occupation for the members i.e those
concerned with better farming, better business &
better living for the general uplift of rural mass.

13.  Reduced per-unit handling or processing costs
 Dividends based on how much each members uses the
cooperative.
 Improved services
 More marketing power through greater size, brand
identification, quality control, etc.
 Assured sources of supply at a reasonable cost.
 Education to help members improve business
practices
 Support for family farms
 Income generated in the local community.

14.  Inability to raise prices for members products
 Disagreements among members
 Difficulties in building long-term equity when
members want to receive dividents immediately
 Slow decision-making
 Unreliable members participation

15. The cooperative principles are guide lines by
which the cooperatives put their values into
practice
 Voluntary and open membership: cooperatives
are voluntary organisations, open to all persons
capable of using their services and willing to
accept the responsibilities of membership,
without discrimination on basis of gender, social
inequality, political ideologies or religious
consideration.

16.  Democratic members control:
cooperatives are democratic organisations
controlled by their members, who actively
participate in setting their policies and
decision making. Elected representatives of
these cooperatives are responsible and
accountable to their members.

17.  Members of Economic participation: members
contribute equitably and control the capital of
their cooperatives democratically( every one in
society is equal). At least a part of the surplus
arising out of their economic results would be the
common property of the cooperatives. The
remaining surplus could be utilized benefiting the
members in proportion to their share in the
cooperatives.

18.  Autonomy and Independence: cooperatives are
autonomous, self-help organsiations controlled by
their members. If cooperatives enter into
agreement with other organisations including
govt. or raise capital from external sources, they do
so on terms that ensure their democratic control
by members and maintenance of cooperatives
autonomy.

19.  Education, Training and Information:
Cooperatives provides education and training to
their members, elected representatives and
employees so that they can contribute effectively to
the development of their cooperatives. They also
make the general public, particularly young people
and leaders aware of the nature and benefits of
cooperation.

20.  Cooperation among cooperatives: cooperatives serve
their members most effectively and strengthn the
cooperative movement, by working together through
available local, regional, national and international
structures.
 Concern for community: cooperatives primarily exists
for their members, yet they are also offen closely tied
to their communities. They have a special
responsibility to ensure that the development of their
communities-economically, socially and culturally is
sustained. They have a responsibility to work steady for
the environmental protection of those communities.

21. Thanks