Collaboration, New Generation Cooperatives and Local Development

Abstract

Local public officials and development practitioners are struggling to find ways to revitalize their communities. This article examines an expanded role for agricultural businesses in the development process. Three main issues are addressed. Findings from a national survey of 117 New Generation Cooperative managers show the reasons for starting these ventures including an interest in creating local jobs, the roles played by development organizations, and how successful they have been. The relative importance of social capital in starting the NGCs is also statistically tested. A survey of 43 development agencies in Illinois is then examined to determine the interest in working with agribusiness ventures, the types of incentives available, and whether the presence of agricultural interests on the board of directors affected the industries contacted. The article concludes with a discussion of the experiences in Renville, Minnesota, which has worked with five NGCs in a local revitalization program.