Evaluating the Performance of Agricultural Cooperatives: A Micro-Level Conceptual Framework for Benchmarking

Collaboration in cooperatives helps farmers strengthen their economic position in dynamic agri-food markets. Unlike other types of businesses, agricultural cooperatives are user-owned, user-controlled, and user-benefitting enterprises. Their dual nature as business enterprises and social groups of members complicates performance evaluation. This study attempts to bridge the gap by developing a micro-level conceptual framework for benchmarking agricultural cooperatives. Based on a systematic literature review of 77 empirical studies published in 1987–2025 and thematic analysis, the authors propose an eight-dimensional conceptual framework encompassing competitive, financial, educational, efficiency, environmental, governance, operational, and social performance indicators. The review reveals that existing research prioritises financial indicators while overlooking cooperative-specific characteristics arising from their dualistic nature. The conceptual framework offers a structured conceptual basis for assessing the performance of agricultural cooperatives across sectors and countries. Although applying the framework is beyond the scope of this paper, the authors highlight prospective indicators for future empirical work and practical implementation.