A Research Agenda for Cooperatives

This study uses survey responses from cooperative industry leaders and academics to inform priority cooperative research topics and progress on those topics, thereby informing an agenda for further cooperative research. Specifically, factor analysis of respondents’ importance ratings for cooperative research topics identifies the following groupings of larger research areas/themes in order of importance: cooperative governance and performance, life cycle and survival, and risk-oriented research. Future work on these topics will help to address the needs and challenges of agricultural cooperatives and promote the sustainability of this business form.