Cooperative Association Research Articles

AGRIBUSINESS STRATEGIES FOR MITIGATING RISKS IN THE TOMATO VALUE-CHAIN: FROM SOKOTO FIELDS TO MARKETS

This study examined the risks, attitudes, and management strategies of 100 tomato value chain actors (45 farmers and 55 marketers) aged 30-60 years in Sokoto Metropolis, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select respondents An interview schedule was used for the data collection, while descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The socioeconomic results reveal that all the respondents were male, mostly middle-aged (mean of 42 years), married. About 72% of the marketers are members of cooperative associations while none of the farmers were members. About 67% of the farmers and 33% of the marketers have a secondary occupation. Results revealed that farmers predominantly encountered pests and diseases infestation (mean score 5.00), yield variability (mean score 4.69), and price instability (mean score 4.69) as major risks. Marketers, on the other hand, cited perishability (mean score 4.98), price instability (mean score 4.96), and payment defaults (mean score 4.84) as critical challenges. While pest and disease control, crop diversification, and income diversification were common among farmers, marketers primarily relied on price negotiation, improved storage, and efficient transportation. The study concludes that enhancing extension services, promoting cooperatives, and improving infrastructure are crucial to mitigating risks and boosting the tomato value chain's sustainability in Sokoto.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON THE USE OF AGRO-CHEMICALS BY ARABLE CROPS FARMERS IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

The study was carried out in Adamawa State to sources of information on the use of agro-chemicals by arable crops farmers in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Primary data was used for the study and the data was collected via the use of a well-structured questionnaire. Multi-stage and random sampling techniques were used to sample 365 respondents from the four ADP Zones in the state. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, percentage and a 3 type rating scale were used. The result of this study established that majority (40%) of the respondents were within the age of 30-40 years, male respondents accounted for 56.4%, 33.4% had secondary education and 66% has no contact with extension workers while 60% of the respondents were not members of any cooperative association. Majority (74.8%) of the respondents sourced information on the use of agro-chemicals from fellow farmers. The study concluded that informal networks and personal relationships play a crucial role in the dissemination of information on agro-chemicals among farmers. The following recommendations were proffered; extension Services should be improved; use of digital platforms such as mobile apps and social media, ensuring that labels are clear, comprehensive and easy to understand can help increase their utility as a reliable source of information.

Chemical reaction enhanced graph learning for molecule representation.

Molecular representation learning (MRL) models molecules with low-dimensional vectors to support biological and chemical applications. Current methods primarily rely on intrinsic molecular information to learn molecular representations, but they often overlook effectively integrating domain knowledge into MRL. In this article, we develop a reaction-enhanced graph learning (RXGL) framework for MRL, utilizing chemical reactions as domain knowledge. RXGL introduces dual graph learning modules to model molecule representation. One module employs graph convolutions on molecular graphs to capture molecule structures. The other module constructs a reaction-aware graph from chemical reactions and designs a novel graph attention network on this graph to integrate reaction-level relations into molecular modeling. To refine molecule representations, we design a reaction-based relation learning task, which considers the relations between the reactant and product sides in reactions. In addition, we introduce a cross-view contrastive task to strengthen the cooperative associations between molecular and reaction-aware graph learning. Experiment results show that our RXGL achieves strong performance in various downstream tasks, including product prediction, reaction classification, and molecular property prediction. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/coder-ACAC/RLM.

Asymmetric effects of GVC on poverty in ASEAN and OECD

PurposeThis study aims to analyze the relationship between global value chain (GVC) participation and poverty levels. Additionally, it investigates the impact of education levels, specifically analyzing literacy rates and tertiary education rates, on the correlation between GVC participation and poverty in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.Design/methodology/approachFixed effect and random effect models will be employed to quantify the relationships between the dependent and independent variables. The Hausman test is applied to determine the appropriate estimator between fixed and random effects. Also, in the model, time-fixed effect or two-way fixed effect has been used to control for unobserved heterogeneity both across entities and over time in panel data analysis.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that engagement in GVCs presents a promising avenue for stimulating development, advancing income per capita growth and facilitating job creation. Notably, the results illuminate that the poverty-alleviating impacts of GVC participation are most conspicuous in nations boasting elevated levels of educational attainment among their populace.Originality/valueThis research aims to promote a better understanding of the connection between GVC participation and the level of poverty, with GVC participation decomposed into forward participation and backward participation.

Factors Affecting Technical Efficiency of Coffee Producers: The Case Dale Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia

Coffee is the major source of income for smallholder farmers and is a leading export crop for Ethiopia. Even though a great proportion of coffee production comes from smallholder farmers with farm sizes below two hectares, productivity in these farms remained very low. To identify the causes of low productivity this study identified the technical efficiency level of smallholder coffee farmers and the factors that influence technical efficiency in coffee production in Dale Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia using the stochastic frontier approach. In addition, this study attempts to determine whether the agricultural and some of the socio-economic characteristics of farmers can influence the efficiency of their technical efficiency coffee production. By exploiting the information that was gathered in a survey of 150 farmers selected randomly from three kebeles using stratified random sampling in the woreda, these farmers' technical efficiency was estimated using a trans-long-type stochastic frontier model and two-limit Tobit model. The mean technical efficiency of the study area is 65.43%. The results suggest that, factors like the land cover, labor in hours, compost used as well as their cross product and the interaction effects of labor with sufficient compost used, labor with proper capital-labor force, and minimum cost for agricultural equipment and composite with proper capital significant determinants of coffee technical efficiency in the area. Furthermore, variables like educational status, age of the coffee tree, membership of cooperative associations, size of livestock holding, presence of additional off-farm incomes, and age of household head are significant predictors of the technical efficiency of farmers in the study area. Thus, by improving their education, improving the frequency of extension service, increasing livestock holdings, improving membership in cooperative associations, and replacing the aged coffee tree, someone can improve his/her technical efficiency directly and coffee production indirectly.

Кооперативные организации северных карел в 1920-е годы (на примере Ухтинского уезда)

This article presents the activities of cooperative organisations in the Ukhta District in the 1920s. The main objective of the research is to consider the various types and forms of cooperative associations of residents of the Ukhta District of Karelia and establish the most important areas of their activities. The leading research methods are historical narrative, analysis and synthesis of information identified in archival and printed materials, methods of microhistory and regional studies. The main sources of the research are documents from the funds of the National Archives of the Republic of Karelia. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that, using the example of the Ukhta District, inhabited by northern Karelians, it examines the development of various types of cooperative peasant associations in Karelia, taking into account not only the national specifics, but also natural environment and climatic and foreign policy factors. In this regard, the difficulties of restoring the economy at the beginning of the New Economic Policy in the Ukhta District, which suffered from military operations and bad weather conditions, are revealed. Using the example of the Kemsk-Ukhta District Union of Cooperatives, distinctive features in the work of cooperative societies in the border zone were discovered and general shortcomings of consumer cooperation in the 1920s were detected. Other types of cooperative associations created in Ukhta district have been established: credit partnership, agricultural commune, land reclamation partnership. The peculiarity of peasant cooperatives in northern villages, where reindeer herding partnerships were created, was clarified; the importance of peasant cooperation for the economic growth of Ukhta district is shown.

CARACTERIZACIÓN DE SISTEMAS DE PRODUCCIÓN LECHERA Y SALUD DE LA UBRE EN EL NORTE DE ANTIOQUIA, COLOMBIA

<p><strong>Background: </strong>The sociodemographic characterization of milk producers allows knowing their particular conditions in terms of social, political and economic structure through indicators that describe them as social actors, interaction networks, conflict situations and events related to milk production. <strong>Objective:</strong> To characterize the diversity of dairy production systems in Northern Antioquia with a focus on the producer, the farms, access to services and their impact on the biological indicators of udder health. <strong>Methodology:</strong> A cross-sectional study was designed <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">that</span> including 216 milk producers within distributed in 9 dairy municipalities in northern Antioquia. Surveys to characterize the producer, the farm and access to services for health and milk production were carried out. As biological indicators of udder health, the annual average<span style="text-decoration: line-through;">s</span> of bulk tank somatic cell counts (BTSCC) and colony-forming units (CFU) of each farm were analyzed. Statistical analyzes were performed with SPSS version 25.0 and a p < 0.05. <strong>Results: </strong>The biological indicators of udder health in the studied farms presented poor sanitary quality according to the BTSCC for 67 % of the producers and poor hygienic quality with CFU in for 22 % of the participating farms. Briceño producers showed the lowest production in contrast to Santa Rosa de Osos milk producers, who have the highest production. In the linear regression models, 18.2 % of the BTSCC was explained by the location in relation to the municipality, the size of the production system and the type of milking. The CFU values were explained in 29.8 % by the municipality, the cooperative association or livestock association, the milk storage system, the offer of laboratory services for milk and cows, the area of the farm dedicated to grazing, the number of animals on the farm and the average daily production per cow. <strong>Implications:</strong> This study shows the importance of understanding udder health issues not only at the cow level from a biomedical approach. The understanding of udder health from the farm in the sociodemographic context shows that its location, access to services, technology, education and associativity establish opportunities to improve production and competitiveness of milk production. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> udder health can be positively or negatively affected by the location of the production system, the size of the production system, the type of milking, the association to a cooperative or livestock association, the milk storage system, the supply of laboratory services for milk and cows, the area of the farm dedicated to grazing, the number of animals on the farm and the average daily production per cow. To consider these variables is fundamental in decision-making in mastitis control and preventive care for udder health.</p>

סוגיית העדפת בני המקום בהקצאות קרקע למגורים בסוגי יישוב שונים בישראל

The question of who has the right to reside in a particular locality has been at the center of public and legal discourse in Israel for many years. This is the result of official and unofficial mechanisms intended to exclude certain individuals or groups. This article deals with a related though different issue, which focuses on the preference given to locals during the allocation of state land. Addressing this question requires a discussion of issues such as individual freedom, the meaning of home, the importance of family, the significance of residency in a particular place, the nature of various types of settlements in Israel, justice in land distribution and the necessity of correcting of historical wrongs versus the perpetuation of existing social stratification, as well as the preservation of existing communities versus concerns about pushing them out of a neighborhood or settlement. After presenting a framework for thinking about the issue of preference of locals, the article conducts a critical examination of the existing legal framework in Israel in both rural areas, where the right of residency is managed by cooperative associations, and urban areas, which include, for this purpose, the settlements of minorities. The conclusion drawn from this analysis is that the same flaws in legal decision making with respect to acceptance by a settlement also exist in the regulation of the preference for locals. The social and economic outcomes that affect the lives of individuals and the distribution of land in Israel perpetuate established ways of thinking about forms of residency and about disparities and social differentiation in Israel.

Mechanisms underlying the interactions and adaptability of nitrogen removal microorganisms in freshwater sediments

Microorganisms in eutrophic water play a vital role in nitrogen (N) removal, which contributes significantly to the nutrient cycling and sustainability of eutrophic ecosystems. However, the mechanisms underlying the interactions and adaptation strategies of the N removal microorganisms in eutrophic ecosystems remain unclear. We thus analyzed field sediments collected from a eutrophic freshwater ecosystem, enriched the N removal microorganisms, examined their function and adaptability through amplicon, metagenome and metatranscriptome sequencing. We found that the N removal activities could be affected through potential competition and inhibition among microbial metabolic pathways. High-diversity microbial communities generally increased the abundance and expression of N removal functional genes. Further enrichment experiments showed that the enrichment of N removal microorganisms led to a development of simplified but more stable microbial communities, characterized by similar evolutionary patterns among N removal microorganisms, tighter interactions, and increased adaptability. Notably, the sustained provision of NH4+ and NO2− during the enrichment could potentially strengthen the interconnections among denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) processes. Moreover, the identification of shared metabolic traits among denitrification, anammox and DNRA implies important cooperative associations and adaptability of N removal microorganisms. Our findings highlight the microbial interactions affect the adaptive strategies of key microbial taxa involved in N removal.

Access to credit and its effect on poultry farmers’ productivity: A case study of layer chicken farmers in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria

Despite the relevance of the poultry sub-sector to the economy of Nigeria and the capital-intensive nature of poultry production, many poultry farmers are unable to access adequate credit which affects their productivity. This study was therefore conducted to understand the effect access to credit has on farmers’ productivity, with emphasis on layer producers in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 114 layer producers. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Total Factor Productivity, and Tobit regression model. The result of this study showed that though most of the layer producers had access to credit (87.6%), not all of them obtained credit (67.0%) from the sources where credit can be accessed. It also revealed that layer farmers with access to credit (4.88±1.99) were marginally more productive than layer producers without access to credit (4.22±2.22). The study finally revealed that while socio-economic variables such as sex of layer farmers, marital status of layer farmers, household size of layer farmers, and membership of cooperative association significantly influenced productivity of layer farmers, access to credit also significantly influenced the productivity of layer farmers. The study recommended that the government should enforce policies relating to ease of accessing credit from financial institutions.

ASSESSMENT OF THE OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF FARMERS' COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

To uncover the constraints and entry points for improving the operational performance of farmers' cooperative societies in southeast Nigeria forms the motivation for this study. Farmers' cooperatives have enormous potential to support economic growth at the rural and regional levels, building on the spirit of teamwork that is already common among the rural people. A decent number of qualities differentiate cooperative associations from other different entities. These comprise open and voluntary enrollment. Cooperative social orders are available to all citizenry with common interests. This study analyzed responses from two hundred and forty respondents selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Frequency, mean, Likert scale and ordered logit regression model were used for the analysis. The perception of members of farmers' cooperative societies on their operational performance showed that the cooperatives in the area performed well in terms of members' access to training, participation during decision-making, voting during elections, and leaders' emergence through the democratic process. The ordered logit regression result of the socioeconomic factors to the operational performance of the farmers' cooperatives showed that membership strength, Age of the cooperatives, access to free input, access to training, and access to infrastructural facilities were statistically significant and positively related to farmers' cooperatives level of operational performance. Thus, the study recommends that Cooperative societies supply their members' goods and services for improved income and savings investment, improved productivity, and bargaining power through maximum utilization of economies of scale and cost and risk sharing.

Co-operative forest owner associations - harmonized values for sustainable development?

Sustainable development is an important concept for competitive advantage for all types of organisations and is often implemented by a top-down strategic approach. Forest owner associations are based on the co-operative idea and are therefore expected to include key stakeholders such as members in strategic decisions. A challenge is to incorporate strategic sustainability management in an organisation. It refers to considering organisational objectives, maintaining relations with key stakeholders and keeping the organisational identity. This study aimed to explore how forest owner associations position themselves for sustainable development. A qualitative case study based on semi-structured interviews, (including five employees and eleven members) and sustainability reports suggests that sustainable development is integrated to different extents in forest owner associations in Sweden. A strategic approach is deemed necessary for a dynamic incorporation of sustainable development that is structured and leads to the improvement of responsible practice in the organisation. This study highlights the importance of considering sustainability strategies and co-operative identity in the process of implementing sustainability management in forest co-operatives. Further research could focus on corporate strategies for sustainable development with an extended longitudinal perspective.

Patterns of retail gentrification on inner-city main streets in Stockholm: the role of privatized property ownership

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate the connection between property owners and shopfront retail changes on main streets, exploring the role of private property ownership in retail gentrification. Examining four inner-city streets in Stockholm between 2009 and 2018, a commercial gentrification index reveals patterns of retail gentrification. Privatization in Stockholm (1990–2010) resulted in cooperative housing associations (CHAs) becoming the dominant property owners. Retail gentrification is slightly more pronounced among CHA-owned properties. Interviews with 122 small-business owners renting from CHAs indicate that their short-term economic interests limit efforts to counteract retail gentrification, favouring its exacerbation over preserving independent retailers on main streets.

Exploration and Practice of Collaborative Curriculum Development between Universities and Enterprises Based on Industrial Associations

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how to carry out curriculum construction based on industrial association, so as to improve the practicability, adaptability and employment competitiveness of vocational education. Through theoretical analysis and practical case analysis, this paper discusses the advantages and characteristics of school-enterprise cooperation and industrial association cooperation, and puts forward suggestions on strengthening cooperation mode and mechanism innovation, hoping to provide certain reference for the development of vocational education.

An Assessment of the Factors Influencing Farmers’ Access to Fertilizer Markets in Some Selected Local Government Areas in Kaduna State, Nigeria

The study assessed the factors influencing farmers access to fertilizer markets in selected local government areas in Kaduna State. A multinomial regression analysis was used to assess whether the factors have significant effect on the odds of observing certain market categories. The model was assessed based on an alpha value of 0.05 and the result of the multinomial regression model were significant, χ<sup>2</sup> (20) = 278.21, p < .001 suggesting that education, cooperative association, credit, distance, ease of use, availability, comparative cost, accessibility, affordability and quality had a significant effect on the odds of observing at least one of the response categories of the market relative the retailer outlet. The significant variables' influence on the odds of choosing specific market outlets is indicative of the multifaceted nature of farmers' decision-making processes. Education, cooperative membership, distance, and product availability emerged as key determinants of selecting retailers. Meanwhile, credit, quality, and availability of the product were found to influence the choice of wholesaler outlets. Understanding the interplay of these factors can guide policymakers, extension services, and market stakeholders in designing targeted interventions. Enhancing access to credit, improving product quality, and addressing distance-related challenges can facilitate better market access, promote value chain efficiency, and potentially lead to increased market participation and improved livelihoods for farmers

Unveiling the nexus between solar energy adoption and crop farmer income: evidence from Pakistan

Worldwide, the continuous advancement of off-grid solar photovoltaic irrigation seeks to improve water access, increase food production, and reduce carbon emissions and energy costs associated with fuel usage. Consequently, this enhances human resilience to climate change and contributes to the improvement of farmers’ income. This study investigates the influence of solar energy adoption on farmers’ income, drawing insights from 1,080 growers in Pakistan. It uses the logit model and propensity score matching (PSM) to address bias. Factors influencing income, including gender, education, decision-making autonomy, farm size, extension services, cooperative associations, access to credit, risk perception, market distance, and tube well availability, are identified. Findings reveal a positive correlation between solar energy adoption and increased crop farmer income. PSM analysis validates this, emphasizing the need for government and agricultural extension interventions to enhance financial accessibility for farmers facing mobility challenges. This includes subsidies for technology adoption and knowledge dissemination about digital technology. The study advocates for an accelerated adoption of solar energy to foster agricultural development in Pakistan. In resource-poor nations like Pakistan, government subsidies are crucial to offset technology costs for citizens facing challenges in affording green energy. Addressing Pakistan’s energy crisis through promoting solar energy for irrigation can amplify farmers’ income. It is imperative to promote access to this technology, particularly for water pumping, through subsidies and readily available credit facilities, given the resource limitations and small landholdings of many farmers in Pakistan.

Determinants of Rural Women's Participation in Agricultural Cooperatives in Burundi: The Case of the TWITEZIMBERE and REKATUJANE Rice Cooperatives in the GIHANGA Commune

This article shows the driving factors of rural women's participation in the TWITEZIMBERE and REKATUJANE rice cooperatives in the GIHANGA commune. These factors are related to the preservation of traditional culture in Burundi in general and in rural areas in particular, where women are in the majority. To achieve this, the research methodology used is both qualitative (individual interviews and documentary research) and quantitative (questionnaire administered to respondents). The results of this research show that traditional culture has forced rural women to stay at home to care for children and perform various household chores. This situation of isolation leads to a lack of information about the benefits of rice-growing cooperatives and the value they can bring to their members. It is also observed that rural women lack the will to adopt the new rice farming practices in Cooperatives. This situation of lack of will to adopt new behavior has hindered the massive participation of rural women in rice cooperatives. Finally, the article emphasizes that the illiteracy of these rural women and the lack of external technical and financial support are considered other important factors that constituted the barriers to their massive participation in rice cooperatives. To deal with this series of problems, the researcher has discovered strategies that can encourage rural women to participate massively in rice cooperatives, in particular, to become members of rice cooperatives that help their members to make them known and receive external technical and financial support, for example, incentives from the government. For this, the Government must therefore help them by providing multifaceted support including local and foreign technical and financial partners. Similarly, cooperative leaders might seek out various donors for their agricultural cooperative associations.

Achieving sustainable development through agriculture-forestry-livestock nexus in Bangladesh: Synergies and trade-offs

CONTEXTIn the pursuit of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, integrating agriculture-forestry-livestock (AFL) systems has emerged as a potential tool in developing countries. Yet, the extent of synergies and trade-offs associated with each SDG and viable strategies to address these trade-offs and leverage the synergies lack clarity. OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study is to investigate the synergies and trade-offs associated with integrating AFL practices in Bangladesh toward achieving the 17 SDGs and suggest appropriate solutions to address the trade-offs. METHODSThis study employs an online survey based on the Delphi principles, ensuring unbiased opinions from a diverse set of experts with relevant expertise in the AFL nexus. The first survey round gathers insights on potential synergies and trade-offs, and the second round focuses on effective management strategies to address the challenges. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSFindings reveal that AFL integration holds potential for synergies across SDGs, especially for poverty eradication, zero hunger, life on land, and climate action. However, trade-offs develop due to a lack of technical expertise and managerial knowledge, limited access to financial resources, fragmented land ownership, insufficient market opportunities, existing gender inequities, child labor practices, and an overreliance on wood as a fuel source in Bangladesh. To address these challenges, this study recommends comprehensive strategies such as creating specialized agricultural credit facilities, introducing insurance schemes, promoting cooperative associations, resolving land ownership issues, improving market linkages, addressing child labor, promoting gender equality, and advocating for clean energy alternatives like biogas. These strategies are linked with several national agendas of Bangladesh and aim to minimize trade-offs and maximize the synergies of AFL integration for sustainable development. SIGNIFICANCEThis research contributes to the global discourse on sustainable development by shedding light on the potential of AFL systems in Bangladesh and offers insights for policymakers and stakeholders. The findings also provide guidance for other developing countries facing similar challenges while pursuing the SDGs.

Adaptation strategies and functional transitions of microbial community in pyrene-contaminated soils promoted by lead with Pseudomonas veronii and its extracellular polymeric substances

Pyrene was designated as a remediation target in this study, and low contamination of lead (Pb) was set to induce heavy metal stress. Pseudomonas veronii and its extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) were chosen for biofortification, with the aim of elucidating the structural, metabolic, and functional responses of soil microbial communities. Community analysis of soil microorganisms using high-throughput sequencing showed that the co-addition of P. veronii and EPSs resulted in an increase in relative abundance of phyla associated with pyrene degradation, and formed a symbiotic system dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, which involved in pyrene metabolism. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the module containing P. veronii was the only one exhibiting a positive correlation between bacterial abundance and pyrene removal, indicating the potential of bioaugmentation in enriching functional taxa. Biofortification also enhanced the abundance of functional gene linked to EPS production (biofilm formation-Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and pyrene degradation. Furthermore, 17 potential functional bacteria were screened out using random forest algorithm. Lead contamination further promoted the growth of Proteobacteria, intensified cooperative associations among bacteria, and increased the abundance of bacteria with positive correlation with pyrene degradation. The results offer novel perspectives on alterations in microbial communities resulting from the synergistic impact of heavy metal stress and biofortification.

Земства и кооперация Ставропольской губернии в годы Первой мировой войны

Introduction. In the context of the outbreak of the First World War and the involvement of Russia in military conflicts, the authorities are looking for additional sources of solving the problems that have arisen. The government involved local governments in carrying out state activities. Why did they even expand the competence of the zemstvo? The authorities began to involve cooperation in solving socio-economic problems. The experience of interaction between zemstvo and cooperation is of interest. Мaterials and Methods. The study was prepared on the basis of an integrated approach, which made it possible, based on a combination of information from various sources, to analyze the activities of zemstvos and cooperative associations during the First World War. The application of the principles of historicism, objectivity, and comprehensiveness made it possible to analyze the problem under study, including in the regional aspect. The sources involved in the analysis were both published sources and previously unstudied archival documents, statistical materials, periodicals on the problems and history of the activities of local governments and the history of cooperative associations. Analysis. The article examines the activities of zemstvo selfgovernment and cooperation of the Stavropol province during the First World War. The directions of work of zemstvos and cooperative associations are described. The process of development of the cooperative movement in the period under study is examined, the possibilities of cooperation in solving the problems of introducing management methods, providing the population with consumer goods, and reducing the level of social tension are analyzed. Results. The study made a reasonable conclusion that during the First World War, zemstvo institutions and cooperative associations of the Stavropol province carried out fruitful activities and contributed to solving the most difficult wartime problems. Cooperators and zemstvos contributed to solving the problems of providing the population with essential goods, supplying the army, and providing assistance to the families of front-line soldiers. During the war, cooperative associations in the region managed to strengthen their positions, significantly expanding the network of their organizations.