The role of digitalization in agricultural cooperatives successful functioning

Relevance. The widespread use of digital opportunities by modern cooperatives in their multifunctional activities is of genuine interest to both scientists and practitioners, in connection with which there are noteworthy scientific publications and analytical (coming from the cooperators themselves) reviews. It is important that cooperative organizations, both small, important for the regional economy, and large, business-oriented, use digital solutions not only to increase their competitiveness (for purely economic purposes), but also to overcome social and environmental problems that arise in rural areas due to biological, climatic and geopolitical challenges.

Methods. To achieve the goal outlined in the work (identifying the potential of digitalization in ensuring high performance of cooperatives and, through their activities, sustainable development of rural areas), review and analytical methods based on a rigorous study of the results of theoretical research and reporting materials of large cooperatives were applied. having official websites and publishing their strategic and reporting documents on them. The analysis, primarily from the standpoint of the suitability of international experience for domestic practice, was subject to the information of the International Cooperative Alliance (International Cooperative Alliance, ICA), reflecting the positive practices of digitalization of cooperative activities in various countries of the world, as well as the difficulties faced by agricultural cooperatives in the new (digital) environment. The basis for empirical research and, consequently, for the application of quantitative methods in them was the generalized materials of sociological surveys organized within the boundaries of the subjects of the Ural Federal District, mainly in the Sverdlovsk Region.

Results. The main results of the study include the specification of aspects of cooperative activity obtained in its process, in which digitalization is especially important and promising, as well as those that are preferable for implementation in the previous (traditional for cooperatives) forms. Of no less importance is the designation of the main problems and difficulties that stand in the way of creating a full-fledged digital space directly for agricultural cooperatives as a result of the peculiarities of agricultural production, the specifics of the conditions of rural life, the uniqueness of rural areas (their position and characteristics). As such, they noted, firstly, the limited investment opportunities of cooperatives in the creation and development of digital infrastructure facilities in the countryside, secondly, the digital divide (different preparation of villagers for the use of digital technologies), thirdly, some contradictions between modern (digital) formats of cooperative activities and the classical principles of its organization.

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