1 2 3 4 5 6
SECTION V
COOPERATIVES AND THE FAMILY FARM
The promotion and encouragement of farm cooperatives should be emphasized as an effective means to increase farmers’ bargaining power. We reaffirm our belief in the cooperative principles, including:
7
•
Open and voluntary membership
8
•
Democratic member control
9
•
Members’ economic participation
10
•
Autonomy and independence
11
•
Education, training, and information
12
•
Cooperation among cooperatives
13 14 15 16 17
•
Concern for community
18 19 20 21
We believe cooperatives should set aside the full amount of educational funds permitted by law. 1. CAPPER-VOLSTEAD ACT A. The rights of agricultural producers to act together to handle, process and market agricultural products through cooperative activity, as guaranteed under the Capper-Volstead Act of 1922, must be continued. These same rights should be formally extended under law to farm supply and consumer cooperatives.
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43
B. The rights of cooperative members to organize and operate regional and interregional cooperatives (marketing agencies in common) or to merge with other cooperative associations, should not be restricted by law or government regulation. However, we are not in favor of regionals absorbing local cooperatives until other options of maintaining local control have been exhausted, including merger or joint venture with a nearby cooperative. When necessary for a regional to absorb a local cooperative, we strongly urge every effort would be made by the local members or a nearby cooperative to purchase the cooperative back when it is feasible. We demand that regional cooperative boards work together, and with local cooperatives, to help them continue operating for the benefit of the members while still following all cooperative principles. C. The responsibilities of administering the Capper-Volstead Act should remain with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. D. Because cooperative businesses are member-owned and controlled, we oppose any governmental regulation which would infringe upon the rights of cooperative members to determine the policies or operation of their cooperative. E. Value-added cooperatives maintaining cooperative principles of member-ownership and control should be supported by North Dakota Farmers Union.
33
