The first step to make in developing any business is to work out what your idea is and whether it will work. If you are planning to form a co-operative, your idea needs to work for all involved, such as the individual farmers, fishers or foresters.
New businesses often focus on an opportunity for creating a new product or service or making an existing product or service work better. Think about whether your idea could respond to a need or demand not satisfied by another business or by the government.
Co-operatives are formed to do the same things as other types of businesses. A co-operative is a business controlled by its members, owned by its members, and benefits its members.
Together, those three things contrast co-operatives with non-co-operative businesses. The main difference is who owns the business and how the business is controlled.
Agricultural co-operatives are formed by groups of farmers to process, distribute and market their farm products. In some cases, they provide farmers and fishers with facilities for the supply and storage of inputs for agricultural production, such as fertilisers, seeds, fuel, and ploughing or harvesting services.
Agricultural co-operatives seek to maximise the benefits to their farmer members by helping them to access markets, services and products more cost-effective on a collective basis than on an individual one.