Villa Elisa Rice Cooperative, a good example of Entre Rios cooperative tradition (Argentina)

Abstract

Historians recognize Entre Rios province as the birthplace of colonization but it is also there that, since the beginning of the twentieth century, agricultural cooperatives providing important services to partners in sourcing, marketing and industrialization have developed. Cooperative aid have brought about a more rational use of the land, increased turnover, improved product quality, efficient use of capital and rising demand due to expanding markets, different services that each farmer by itself could not reach. This article proposes to analyse the trajectory of a rice producers cooperative -founded in the 1970's - located in the town of Villa Elisa, Entre Rios province, which in greater or lesser degree has been giving these benefits and ranks nowadays as the third national rice exporter and occupies the first place in cooperative management. As well as economic issues, particular attention will be given to the institutional articulation of the company and the introduccion of organizational changes.