Cooperatives in New Zealand: The Particular Case of Dairy

Abstract

Lew Evans presented this seminar on 3 September to ISCR Members and a delegation of 30 Presidents and Directors of cooperatives of the Brazilian State of Parana drawn mainly from the agricultural and credit sectors including: Coamo - the largest agricultural cooperative of South America. With 41 years of existence and more than 24000 members it processes 3.3% of Brazilás grain and fibre harvests. Batavo - http://bit.ly/AqmQ4d (dairy) Frimesa - http://bit.ly/ye0Zty (diversified) Sicredi - with more than 1.8 million member shareholders. Sicredi unites more than 119 credit unions and institutions all over Brazil with more than 1100 branches of the largest agricultural cooperative of South America. This seminar analysed the economic place of the cooperative organisational form in a modern economy. It will draw on New Zealand cooperative firms' experiences and in particular appraise the evolution of the New Zealand dairy industry to the present day. Professor Lew Evans is a Distinguished Research Fellow at The NZ Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation.