Agriculture

Farmers, fishers and foresters can visit Co-operative Farming for information and resources to support them in setting up or growing a co-operative.

Co-operatives of farms and fishing producers …

• Help to maintain the domestic ownership of strategic food assets, thus increasing food security for Australians
• Help to generate significant export earnings
• Facilitate independent Australian farmers to compete by providing access to markets
• Facilitate economies of scale by enabling individual businesses to jointly own and control their supply chain
• Enable smaller farmers and fishermen to stay in business and remain independent
• Maintain a traditional way of life whilst providing economic growth to strengthen Australia’s regions
• Employ locally
• Spread wealth back to farmers through produce rebates and profit sharing

Help to maintain the domestic ownership of strategic food assets, thus increasing food security for Australians

Australian co-operatives are domestically owned, unlike their listed competitors which may be bought by overseas investors. Co-operative ownership ensures that the production of strategic food assets remain in the control of Australians.

Help to generate significant export earnings

Agriculture and fishery co-operatives are net exporters, making a positive contribution to Australia’s balance of trade.

Facilitate independent Australian farmers to compete by providing access to markets

Agricultural co-operatives are groups of independent small businesses, who are working together to provide logistics, marketing and infrastructure in order to access markets in ways that they cannot alone.

Facilitate economies of scale by enabling individual businesses to jointly own and control their supply chain

Family owned farms invest in road, rail and sea transportation operated through their co-operative, to ensure that their produce gets to market in as cost effective a way as possible.

Enable smaller farmers and fishermen to stay in business and remain independent

When independent businesses co-operate in this way, they can meet global competition from large corporates head on.

Maintain a traditional way of life whilst providing economic growth to strengthen Australia’s regions

Individual farm businesses all contribute to their regional way of life, maintaining business presence and contributing taxes through the success they generate from their co-operative membership.

Employ locally

Individual farms employ locally, for both seasonal and long-term work. This is important in rural and regional areas where jobs are scarce.

Spread wealth back to farmers through produce rebates and profit sharing

Co-operatives are not set up to maximise profits – instead they share wealth equitably among their farmer members in proportion to their contribution to the co-op.