Producer Organisations in an Export-Oriented Value Chain: What Motivates Small-Scale Farmers in Kosovo to Collaborate?

Abstract

Producer organisations bear great potential to link small-scale farmers to markets. In post-communist economies, historically negative attitudes towards cooperatives are blamed as barriers to collaboration, but little is known about the broader range of motives to (not) cooperate. We use a structural equation model to analyse cooperation intentions in Kosovo’s emerging export-oriented raspberry sector. In this context, negative images surrounding cooperation seem to belong to the past. Widespread positive attitudes towards joining producer organisations were driven by the wish to facilitate farm commercialisation. The most substantial influence on cooperation intentions came from the norms passed on by the family and farm advisory services. Yet, results beyond the econometric model show that a lack of information and knowledge and lack of institutional trust, mainly doubts about the feasibility of producer organisations, could hinder their spread and success.

Keywords

• kosovo
• agricultural cooperatives
• producer organisations
• export-oriented value chain
• raspberry production
• smallholders
• structural equation modelling