A Bright Future for Co-op Model

Published in C Magazine from CHS inc

By Lani Jordan

Michael Boland, University of Minnesota professor of agricultural economics and holder of the E. Fred Koller endowed chair in agribusiness management, joins Lynden Johnson, CHS senior vice president, Business Solutions, for a look at issues cooperative leaders must consider.

Q: Is the cooperative still a viable business model in today’s dynamic global marketplace?

Boland: As you look at the broad scope of where co-ops fit in the global landscape, you’ll see they are in virtually every part of the world’s economy — agriculture, insurance, finance and more. If you look at U.S. Department of Agriculture data, it’s clear that cooperative market share is growing in most industries and deepening its footprint, so, yes, the cooperative is a very viable business model and will continue to be. Read on