New Generation Co-Operatives : Part of a Revitalization Strategy for Rural Communities

Abstract

Their exclusiveness puts them at odds with some co-operators and CED activists New Generation Co-operatives are nevertheless proving an effective instrument of rural revitalization, helping producers move up the value chain by co-operatively processing their agricultural production into a wide range of niche products. Beyond describing the process by which NGCs are put in place, the authors provide an excellent discussion that contrasts CED and the NGC differences, tensions, and complementarities. While differences and tensions may exist, it is argued, they are seen as tools lodged within a larger CED strategy; both have important roles to play in rural revitalization.