WP 64 | 14 Wine cooperatives between tradition and efficiency: A reflection on the Italian case
The actual economic role of cooperatives, in general and at the sectoral level, is often underestimated and not fully understood. This is also true for cooperatives operating in the agricultural sector. In fact, among the many commentaries on the recent and particularly positive performance of the agricultural sector, which has helped bring the national balance of payments back into surplus, almost no one has paused to assess the role played by cooperatives and consortia among agricultural producers. The purpose of the paper is to help fill this gap. Using a variety of sources, the size is reconstructed and an analysis of the economic function of Italian agricultural cooperation is proposed, including a comparison with corporations and with a specific focus on the wine sector.
