Coordinating Development A study into the organisation and structure of Agricultural Cooperatives in Rwanda
Summary
This thesis examines the organisation and structure of agricultural cooperatives in Rwanda. These organisations are formed to group small holder farmers so they can benefit from working together. The literature describes the advantages of this process for the farmers and the wider economy. The government in Rwanda has also put together a network of other organisations to help the cooperatives to develop for the purpose of making the whole agricultural sector in Rwanda more productive and efficient. The farmers benefit from cooperatives through the expertise of other institutions and working together to increase production add value to their products. The sector also benefits through more stable supply and added value through post harvesting activities. However, due to the top down implementation of this structure the farmers have less autonomy and are heavily influenced by other institutions and chain governance.