MODULE 2a

4. Knowledge/skills/attitudes

Training is required by both farmers and the professionals who support and advise farmers.

  • Training on cooperative structures and functions and both the requirements and responsibilities of those who get involved in these structures – incorporating legal, economic, financial, administration, health and safety, marketing, technical and management aspects;
  • Understanding of collaborative farming models - focus on how collaboration works in practice: why they work; why they don’t work; number and type of arrangements in place. Principles and practices that make a collaborative farming arrangement work.

You can find more in the COFARM Summary Report chapter - Training and Up-Skilling Requirements.

  • Time management: critically important when working with others;
  • Financial and cost management and control (long-term budgeting and cash flow management;
  • Leadership and corporate governance: for those who are taking on roles within cooperatives/businesses;
  • Entrepreneurialism: encouraging individuals to develop new enterprises and business opportunities;
  • People and relationship management skills: either as a partner in a larger business or as a manager, farmers are often lacking people management skills;
  • Cooperative/collaborative skills and decision making: farmers have traditionally worked and made decisions on their own (or with family input) and therefore require training in the area of working with others and shared decision making;
  • Strategic planning skills;
  • Succession planning skills;
  • Stress management and well-being skills;
  • Communication skills;
  • Training for effective cooperation/collaboration;
  • Conflict management and resolution skills;
  • Approaches/practices to improve efficiency;
  • Use of technology to improve efficiency.

You can find more in the COFARM Summary Report chapter - Training and Up-Skilling Requirements.

References/Links

https://coopseurope.coop/

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/social-economy/cooperatives_en

https://www.ica.coop/en/media/resources

https://www.copa-cogeca.eu/eaci.aspx

http://www.fao.org/partnerships/en/

https://www.program-podezelja.si/sl/knjiznica/100-zadruznistvo-ucinkovit-model-poslovnega-organiziranja/file

http://www.kgzs.si/Portals/0/Gradiva/Prirocnik%20za%20uporabo%20Zakona%20o%20agrarnih%20skupnostih%20Verzija%201%20april%202016.pdf

 

We hope that the module has helped you understand the factors that support collaboration/cooperation and that you are now better acquainted with the opportunities and strengths of collaboration/cooperation in farming.

We invite you to visit the COFARM PROJECT website to access the summary report and case studies and deepen your knowledge of cooperation/collaboration in farming.

And remember:

Entrepreneurs have a natural inclination to go it alone. While this do-it-yourself spirit can help you move forward, adding an element of collaboration into the mix can make you unstoppable.

Leah Busque

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SELF-ASSESMENT

This questionnaire will allow you to evaluate the competences acquired by studying the module.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
CO-FARM: Enhancing COoperation amongst FARMing entrepreneurs
Project Number: 2016-1-IE01-KA202-016870

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