Governing cooperative quality schemes: some lessons from olive oil initiatives in the Region of Valencia (Spain)

Abstract

This paper describes the development, functioning and governance of quality assurance schemes for olive oil in three cooperative organizations. Two questions are addressed: first, how the construction of new quality schemes by cooperatives can lead to the fragmentation of the membership base, and hence the need for new institutional arrangements; and second, how the development of such schemes alters the interdependencies between parties (cooperative organization and its members), and how this is governed. The comparative analysis shows the relevance of the social and cultural contexts in shaping the mechanisms of governance, as well contributing to the policy debate in the European Union regarding new food quality schemes.