COOPERATIVES AND RURAL REVITALIZATION: A BUSINESS AND ASSOCIATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Literature calls attention to the impact caused by cooperatives in the processes of rural revitalization, emphasizing the importance given to cooperatives as an instrument capable to avoid economic and social stagnation of rural areas, strongly affected by consequences of competition resulting from globalization. In this context, agricultural cooperatives are identified as competitive instrument for agricultural sector that organize the producers on democratic bases, contributing to the success of local development projects. This work has as a main objective to identify the potential of cooperatives in their impact on rural communities through partnerships. This perspective takes relevance at the current moment when the loss of importance of the agrarian activities in the rural areas is discussed. The paper is organized in three parts: the first shows a theoretical reflection on the role of cooperatives in the rural environments based on their structural configuration. The second, analyzes the cooperative dynamics as wealth generating agents, having as model the "new generation cooperatives". The third part discusses the cooperative formation and/or participation in the rural partnerships in Europe, Canada and Brazil.