Agricultural co-operatives participating in supply chain integration in China: A qualitative comparative analysis

Jiacheng Zhang, Jianli Luo and Jia Li

PLOS ONE, 2021, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: Agro-food supply chain integration (ASCI) plays a growingly important role in the stable and sustainable development of agriculture. However, it is challenging for core firms to integrate the small-scale and scatted farmers due to complex transaction processes and volatile relationships in China. Agricultural co-operatives are organizations that unite farmers’ power and help them achieve economic benefits. Our research focuses on ASCI from the perspective of co-operatives. A comprehensive cooperative framework, including trinity co-operatives and trinity federations, is conducted to figure out the position and process of agricultural co-operatives in ASCI, while QCA provides detailed collaborative patterns for agricultural co-operatives to adopt. Results show that agricultural co-operatives can achieve high economic and social/environmental performance when participating in ASCI. This study further completes the ASCI literature and offers many managerial and academic implications to co-operatives’ members and policy-makers.

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0250018

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250018

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