Poverty

Georgia Cooperative Development Center

The Georgia Cooperative Development Center was established in 2004 as a partnership between the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development Council, and a number of other Georgia RC&Ds. The GCDC mission is to increase economic opportunities and benefits for people in rural Georgia by fostering growth and success of cooperative enterprises. The GCDC provides assistance to new and emerging agricultural cooperatives, primarily in the area of value-added enterprises, through technical advice and guidance, business analysis and facilitated learning. During 2007, the Georgia Cooperative Development Center helped to establish two new cooperatives in the state. A cooperative of sweet corn growers in Baker County was formed to market fresh sweet corn as a value-added product and a group of horse stable owners was created to compost and market manure as a fertilizer product with the added benefit of reducing the potential risk for nitrogen and phosphorus runoff sometimes associated with these businesses. Six existing cooperatives were provided the ongoing technical assistance necessary to help them continue as viable businesses and more than 20 additional producer groups representing commodities as diverse as poultry, beef, sea food, and vegetables, as well as agritourism and farmers markets, were assisted in some way as they explored the potential for establishing cooperative business structures. Since its creation in 2004, the Georgia Cooperative Development Center has assisted in the development or further development of 36 agribusinesses with more than 1,200 members. (2008)

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