Week 3 (17-23rd, Feb 2014)

• Work Finished

1. Reading a series of literature on the nature of agri coops. Discussing the standard of true coops and the different of coops and companies with some experts (Prof Shangyong Li in Ya’an School of Administration, Prof Zhou, Dr Junrong Deng in Yangtze Univ, Dr Huan Yang in CCRS).

It is probably true that only a minority of the registered coops are true coops. However, for this study’s purpose, any farmers’ org that has the following features can be the survey sample.  

(1) It is established due to the cooperation among farmers. This means that one or fewer farmers were not able to establish the org — if so they have already established one. There can be one or few famers that lead the establishment and dominate the org. (2) Farmers establish the org spontaneously. This means there is no specific external force (e.g. an agri company, a government official) which drives them to establish the org. The government institutions certainly can be an important driving force, but they work for everyone. (3) The org generates economies of scale. Economies of scale are essentials of cooperation. Once the org generates economies of scale, it embodies the benefit of cooperation. It may not run very efficiently thus does not create a lot of benefits, but it increases the income for the members. Otherwise the members have withdrawn from the org.

The point is that it is a spontaneous cooperation among micro agents that creates economies of scale.  The essential purpose of this study is to explain how the pattern of cooperation at macro level is formed through the self-organising behaviour of self-interested agents at micro level. The orgs with the above three features, whether they are true coops or not, meet the requirement of this study. Do you think so?

2. Recording the data collected in excel.

3. Fixing the date to visit the coops in Henan Prov.

4. Preparing everything for visiting coops in Shiyan City.

• Work not Finished

1. Doing survey in Yongxin Coop in Caidian.

Reason: It seems the coop leader does not really support our survey. I cannot fix a time to have a meeting with him.  

2. Interviewing the leaders of Yongbang village.

Reason: The key leader is in the hospital and will stay for a couple of weeks.

• Work to Do

1. Doing survey in Yun County of Shiyang City.