Dairy Cooperatives: What Factors Contribute to Maintaining Mountain Dairy Farming?

Abstract

Maintaining dairy farming is a stake of major importance in mountainous areas, on an economic, social and environmental point of view. However the number of dairy farms continues to decline in mountainous areas and the abolition of milk quotas in 2015 could accelerate this phenomenon. This article deals with how dairy cooperatives influence dairy farms and can help them to continue their activity. Our work is based on a case study of two mountainous dairy production areas located in northern French Alps. Basing mainly on interviews among dairy farmers and persons in charge of direction in the cooperatives, we analyzed the roles that cooperatives play in dairy production areas and their evolutions. We highlighted the relations between cooperatives and farmers, as well as the coordinations between cooperatives, and the territorial links between cooperatives and local area. It lead us to highlight some positive influences of cooperatives to help to maintain dairy farming in mountainous areas, but we also show some factors that may limit their role.