Consumer Cooperation in the Formation of Regional Food Resources

Abstract

The main area of activity of consumer cooperatives is rural areas, where, in cooperation with regional authorities, it solves the problems of forming food resources. Providing the population with food is one of the main tasks of consumer cooperation in the sphere of national security of the state. Consumer societies participate in the formation of the regional market of agri-food products, acting as an integral part of the infrastructure of the regional economy. The volume of purchases of agri-food products by the consumer cooperative is a reliable indicator of the relationship with agricultural producers. In the system of purchasing agricultural products, an important place is occupied by the cooperative store, acting as an Outpost of consumer cooperation. Procurement points of consumer cooperation play a significant role in the development of the regional economy and the formation of food resources. In the regions of Russia, the Centrosoyuz consumer cooperative has its own material and technical resources, a system for harvesting agricultural products, and a network of wholesale and retail trade. Consumer cooperation is a reliable channel for selling agricultural products of small businesses through distribution points and cooperative stores. The activity of consumer cooperatives in the food supply system of the regions fully fits into the solution of the tasks formulated in the Russian food security Doctrine. Consumer cooperation is of particular importance for the development of private subsidiary and peasant (farm) farms. Consumer cooperatives buy agricultural products and raw materials; sell compound feed, fertilizers, varietal seeds of agricultural crops, etc. to the rural population. Procurement organizations of consumer cooperatives (receiving points and cooperative stores) they have extensive experience in purchasing agricultural products from agricultural producers, thus ensuring that small agricultural businesses sell their products, including through retail regional markets, through which 48% of the volume of potatoes, 44% of fruit and vegetable products, almost 40% of meat and poultry, and 20% of eggs are sold.