A qualitative assessment of farmer director skills in agricultural cooperatives

Agricultural cooperatives in the United States are larger and more complex than ever before. Due to this growth, farmer directors need to up-skill to maximize farmer member benefits. Director education is generally considered a successful strategy for improving financial and strategic performance, yet little research has examined the skills U.S. agricultural cooperative directors need. This research identified skills – and, notably, behaviors – necessary for agricultural cooperative directors to ensure financial and operational success. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with cooperative leaders. Results were consistent across these three groups and suggest that successful directors must possess the following skills and behaviors: financial/ business, governance, board leadership, industry knowledge and strategic planning. Results suggest that educating farmer directors on these skills and behaviors may benefit all farmer members of an agricultural cooperative.