Workshop on Co-operatives in Natural Resources Management

Abstract

"In common parlance, co-operation connotes a form of group behaviour aimed at achieving a goal or set of goals of common interest to the group. In this sense, co-operation is as old as the human civilisation itself. As an ethical norm, co-operation has been stressed in all the major religions and moral systems of the world. As a social structure, co-operation is manifest in innumerable organisations created by man for the purpose of joint action to achieve a common goal. According to the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences 'Cooperation' is joint or collaborative behaviour that is directed toward some goal and in which there is common interest or hope of reward. In this paper, we use the word 'co-operation' to mean a formal socio-economic structure and the word 'co-op' to imply a registered co-op society.

"The main objectives of this paper are; a) to examine the rationale for co-op management of natural resources; b) to present an overview of the evolution and growth of co-ops in the development and management of natural resources;c) to critically review the experience with co-op management of natural resources; d) to identify and analyse major issues and options in creating and nurturing such co-ops; and e) to outline an agenda for future research."