A hybrid form of agricultural organization: the case of the Beizhijiang vegetable cooperative in China

Abstract

Farmer cooperatives in China have been developing a hybrid form of governance with features that are seldom observed in other countries. The Beizhijiang vegetable cooperative (hereafter BZJ cooperative), which was founded in 2009, is a case in point. The chairperson of the BZJ cooperative has dominant control over the decision-making and income rights of the cooperative and is also president of the Pangu corporation, a downstream buyer of BZJ products. The purpose of this case study is to allow students to understand the special form of the cooperative in a Chinese context and to compare it to the International Cooperative Association principles regarding cooperatives. This article is aimed at senior undergraduate and graduate students in agribusiness management and agricultural economics and has practical value for agricultural enterprises and related governmental departments.

The role of farmer cooperatives in promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural development in China: A review

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