ORGANIZATIONAL AND ECONOMIC MECHANISMS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION AMONG SMALL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS

Abstract

The article is devoted to substantiating the organizational and economic foundations for the development of cooperation among small agricultural producers in the context of economic digitalization, the transformation of the agricultural sector, and the growing global food security challenges. The relevance of the research topic is determined by the need to enhance the competitiveness of small-scale farms, ensure their economic sustainability, integrate them into modern agri-food value chains, and adapt them to dynamic changes in the external environment. The study aims to analyze, systematize, and improve the theoretical and methodological foundations, as well as to substantiate the organizational and economic mechanism for the development of cooperation among small agricultural producers under conditions of digitalization and transformation of the agricultural economy.

To achieve this goal, the article examines existing approaches to the development of agricultural cooperation, analyzes international and domestic experience with cooperative structures, and investigates the influence of the institutional environment, digital technologies, and network interactions on the development of the cooperative movement. The study analyzes the concepts of social capital, network economy, agricultural innovation systems, and the “Triple Helix” model. The author’s vision of the organizational and economic mechanism for the development of cooperation among small agricultural producers is substantiated as a comprehensive system of interaction among organizational, economic, institutional, information-communication, and digital management tools, aimed at integrating small producers into a common value-creation system. The proposed organizational and economic mechanism for the development of cooperation among small agricultural producers includes institutional (aimed at forming a favorable regulatory and organizational environment for cooperative development), organizational (ensuring coordination of cooperative participants’ activities), economic (focused on ensuring the financial sustainability of cooperatives), innovation and digital (providing for the implementation of digital platforms to improve management efficiency, transparency of activities, and digital integration of small agricultural producers), and social and communication (aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of cooperative interaction) blocks. The mechanism is based on the principles of systemicity, integration, adaptability, digitalization, and partnership interaction, which will ensure the consolidation of resources for small agricultural producers, minimize transaction costs, develop cooperative infrastructure, and integrate into value chains. The implementation of the proposed mechanism will improve the efficiency of cooperative structures, foster innovation, minimize transaction costs, accelerate the digital transformation of agricultural production, and create a sustainable socio-economic environment for rural development.