Co-operatives vital to the future of rural economies
The above may be true for Dublin and to a lesser extent other urban areas, but it doesn’t reflect the situation in our rural communities.
Supporting agencies are working hard with communities to rejuvenate the rural economy but, simply put, it’s more difficult to do business in rural Ireland.
Businesses have to travel further and wider to access their customers.
It is harder to source and to retain employees with the necessary skills. Fuel is more expensive the more remote you are and broadband is at best inconsistent, at worst, non-existent.
While recognising that Google, Apple, Facebook or Twitter are unlikely to establish their headquarters in Burtonport, Belmullet or Bantry, it’s up to businesses and communities in rural areas to co-operate in overcoming some of the barriers that rural areas face.
In the agrifood and agribusiness sectors, the co-operative model in Ireland has not seen extensive development outside of the core stalwarts of dairy and livestock.
However, internationally, the model has been well established in other sectors and we should emulate that more.
For example, Belgium has a thriving renewable energy co-operative sector.
Communities in the UK have set up over 300 co-operative shops and pubs in rural towns and villages. In the USA, rural towns have started broadband co-operatives to supply internet services in small town America.
There are many opportunities for rural Ireland to take advantage of the co-operative model that has already been vital to the survival and growth of the dairy and livestock sectors.
The result will be a growth of sustainable businesses, employment and communities in rural Ireland.
The development of new co-operatives in sectors like food, renewable energy and community-based projects are also necessary to meet Food Harvest 2020 targets and this has most recently been argued by Minister Tom Hayes TD as the way forward.
ICOS agrees! At its national conference in Portlaoise on October 29, ICOS will be exploring The Role of Co-operatives in Improving Producer Influence in the Global Food Supply Chain. While dairy and livestock will feature strongly, there will also be a focus on how to grow artisan food co-operatives such as the Irish Food Co-op in Piltown Co Kilkenny.
The forestry sector is experiencing a growing uptake in biomass for domestic and industrial use. ICOS has seen a reorganisation of timber producers into co-operatives enterprises. The average forestry plantation is eight hectares and in order to reach economies of scale, smaller producers have to work together to access marketing, contracting and advisory services.
The business of co-operation will support all of this and it will support communities all over Ireland as they work together to promote their own long term sustainability.
* Siobhan Mehigan is co-operative development executive of ICOS. The ICOS National Conference takes place in Portlaoise on October 29. For more details log onto www.icos.ie
