Bina Agarwal, a CSH associate researcher and Professor of Development Economics and Environment at the University of Manchester, has published a working paper on “Farmer Cooperation in England: Exploring its extent, forms and impact over time” in Centre for Rural Policy Research, University of Exeter on July 2024.

The paper is available at: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/research/crpr/documents/Working_Paper_PDF_242407.pdf

Abstract: Drawing on diverse sources (including fieldwork), this paper traces the history of farmer cooperation in England – the varied forms it has taken over time, its extent, its expected benefits, and observed impact. The paper focuses especially on cooperation in production – an under-researched dimension – wherein farmers form partnerships to work together and share resources, going beyond joint purchase of inputs, sale of output, or knowledge exchange.

Although by the Government’s Farm Business Surveys, only about 4% of farms in England, covering about 5% of utilized farm land are formally cooperating in production in varied forms, the figures go up to 14% (for both farms and area) if we include informal unconventional farming arrangements captured in other large surveys. Even these figures, however, appear to be underestimates if we factor in evidence from diverse sources of informal cooperation that elides structured surveys. Certainly, it calls to question the popular perception of the English farmer being individualistic and non-cooperative.

Farmers are noted to cooperate to overcome resource scarcity and in situations of risk, but especially for expected financial gains from scale economies in equipment use, reduced costs especially on labour, enhanced yields and higher profits. Evidence of actual gains shows that resource sharing does save on machine and labour costs, but other gains cannot be confirmed in the absence of rigorous studies that compare crop yields and economic returns of farms that cooperate, with those that do not. This points to an important research gap.

Overall, the paper provides new evidence and a fresh perspective on a key rural institution that has a long history in England and which warrants much greater attention than it has received in surveys, analysis, and policy. The paper both contributes to and opens up a new field of enquiry.