Trends of agricultural cooperatives development in the United States of America

Abstract

The aim of the research is to study and summarized the experience of agricultural cooperation development in the United States of America, to identify the main problems and positive trends in cooperative development in the American agricultural economy. Within the framework of this article, the historical conditions of the origin and development of the cooperative movement in the United States are analyzed, trends and dynamics of agricultural cooperatives evolution at the present time are identified, the main factors (limitations) of their successful functioning and the most significant organizational innovations undertaken by agricultural cooperatives in the context of environmental changes are specified. In addition, the current trends in the activities of US agricultural cooperatives, revealed in the course of generalization and structuring of scientific materials and statistical information, are especially noted, such as a reduction in the number of cooperatives, a permanent increase in their size, institutional improvement of the internal structure, and the active introduction of technological, technical and organizational innovations. From the point of view of practical significance, some new approaches are noted in organizing the activities of cooperatives, in particular, (1) raising capital from shareholders who are not their patrons, (2) distribution of profits according to both the volume of transactions and the amount of investment in cooperative activities, (3 ) the use of contracts that take into account the strict observance of many conditions of supply, (4) adjustment (to a certain extent) of the principles of openness and equality, which makes it possible to get rid of producers who differ in their activities by mismanagement and wastefulness, (5) individualization of control (through differentiation in the voting procedure ) and property (through the use of modern financial instruments). The experience of developing agricultural cooperation in the United States is advisable to use in domestic economic practice to increase the efficiency of Russian agricultural cooperatives functioning.