Resumen de The impact of “producer groups and associations” on Imathia Region: regional socioeconomic impact of producers groups and associations « the case of Imathia Region - issues, trends and challenges for the future»
Many studies in agri-food sector have indicated that by acting collectively, agri-food SMEs can improve performance and enhance their contribution to local areas. In Greece, the Agricultural Co-operative is by far the most popular form of collective action. There are over 6,900 such co-operatives with 782,000 members in Greece, number which is amongst the highest in Europe.
The paper examines the socioeconomic impact of Agriculture Cooperatives on Imathia region. However, since “Producers Groups and Associations” is a rabidly increasing type of collective action in the Greek agri-food sector, the study is carried through the Producer Groups that are grouping Agricultural Cooperatives. Adopting the case study approach, the paper quantifies the contribution of Producers Groups and Associations to the economic situation of Imathia that is one of the most important agriculture regions in Greece. Effects are estimated in terms of annual production, employment, income, members and sales. In Imathia region there are 23 Producers Groups. Producers Groups are found to have an important contribution to the regions economy related to the examined terms.
