THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF COOPERATIVES AND FARMERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE LITTORAL PROVINCE OF CAMEROON - AN EMPIRICAL-ANALYSIS USING MULTIPLE-REGRESSION EQUATIONS

The cooperative movement started in Cameroon in the 1900s. Ever since, in spite of the failure of cooperatives to promote local initiatives at village level, cooperatives are regarded by government authorities as the best institutions for the development of rural communities. Thi s was evidenced by a government decree creating cooperative unions all over the country, to replace the various rural development organizati ons, which had also failed to provide assistance to small farmers in r ural communities. This study analyzes farmers perception of what a goo d cooperative is, by looking at the socioeconomic significance to the members and their involvement in the operations of the cooperative. Th e findings show that, to have some significance from an economic stand point, cooperatives should give their members a chance to be actively involved in their various operations, so they can enjoy the benefits p rovided by the cooperatives. Meaningful interactions with cooperative leaders are essential in the process. However, the regression equation models developed in the study were very weak in explaining farmers' p roduction as cooperative members, and the extent to which they enjoy t he advantages provided by the cooperatives. So beyond farmers' percept ions of what a good cooperative should be, solid indicators are needed for more reliable regression equation.