The New Cooperative Identity and Agricultural Cooperatives in Türkiye

Abstract

Due to the continuing significance of the agricultural sector in Türkiye today, agricultural cooperatives, whose primary functions include providing inputs and credit to their members/partners, harvesting, storage, processing, marketing, and selling their products, are important organizations. The United Nations has declared 2025 as the international year of cooperatives, while the FAO has emphasized the important role of cooperatives in the fight against hunger and malnutrition, particularly in the agri-food sector. However, there are various obstacles that hinder the ability of cooperatives to perform their functions and maintain their existence. In order to overcome these challenges, it is essential to discuss not only the protection of their universal principles and identity but also the possibility of engaging in commercial activities. An examination of data obtained from official institutions and relevant studies indicates that agricultural cooperatives suffer from limited effectiveness and weak competitiveness due to inadequate capital accumulation. Consequently, it is seen that it is important for agricultural cooperatives to engage in commercial activities and generate capital while preserving their universal principles and identity, in order to become stronger and more efficient and to ensure their long-term sustainability.