Castella Jean-Christophe, Bouahom B. (2014). Farmer cooperatives are the missing link to meet market demands in Laos. Development in Practice, 24 (2), p. 185-198. ISSN 0961-4524.
Titre du document
Farmer cooperatives are the missing link to meet market demands in Laos
Année de publication
2014
Type de document
Article
Auteurs
Castella Jean-Christophe, Bouahom B.
Source
Development in Practice, 2014,
24 (2), p. 185-198 ISSN 0961-4524
In the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, smallholders in Lao PDR need to get better organised to match market demand in terms of product volume and quality. This paper investigates the conditions for the emergence of cooperatives from existing farmers' groups. Our study revealed the importance of social networks and power relations as a factor of cohesion within groups. Local leadership plays a crucial role in connecting group members to the village and district institutions. Recommendations are provided to improve group management rules as a pre-requisite to turn groups into farmers' cooperatives.
