Member control of cooperatives : what it means and how it is exercised (1995)

One of the fundamental principles of cooperatives is that they are controlled democratically by the members who use them. 'Democratic' is defined as one vote per member, regardless of investment in or volume of business conducted with the cooperative. Farmers have indicated in surveys that they recognize and support the concept. At the same time, however, farmers often charge that cooperatives are not member controlled. This publication was designed to help members and managers understand what control means and how it is exercised.New 4/86, Reprinted 3/95/5M