Agricultural cooperatives contributing to the alleviation of rural poverty. The case of Konjic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

In contemporary Bosnia and Herzegovina, rural poverty is an unresolved issue, despite farming having been a poverty coping strategy for many rural dwellers, especially after the end of the Balkan war. Eradicating poverty is among the priorities of the national government that aims at EU candidacy and accession. Being the most dynamic among agricultural sectors, berry farming is a key agricultural activity at the national level and had been the subject of rural development interventions, including the establishment of agricultural cooperatives. This article provides evidence from the largest agricultural cooperative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to inform decision making and policy planning. The article aims at describing and analyzing the status and dynamics of poverty at the farm household level while highlighting their contributing factors, as well as at proposing possible development strategies based on the voice of local actors. Given the complexity and multifaceted features of the investigated issues, the methodological approach of this study relies on a mixed-methods research design, where the quantitative findings from the analysis of poverty status and dynamics and their contributing factors are complemented by qualitative findings from participatory activities. The results of the study pinpoint the successful contribution of the cooperative to the improvement of farmers' working conditions and market access and suggest that supporting collective action among berry farmers can be an effective rural development intervention to alleviate rural poverty and prevent poverty fallouts. To date, structural characteristics of farm holdings and households and climate and market-related conditions have significantly contributed to the farmers' poverty as well as to farmers’ exposure to poverty. Furthermore, bridging the gender gap is still a challenge in Bosnia and Herzegovina which should be addressed urgently to mitigate the problem of social exclusion and to promote bottom-up innovation.