FE.CO.R.SUR-Federación de Cooperativas de la Región Sur

FECORSUR is a second-level cooperative organization founded in 1994, coordinating the activities of seven primary cooperatives, whose main objective is to promote better marketing of sheep and goat products of its members in the Southern region of the province of Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina. The Cooperative gathers about 400 members. Most members are smallholder peasants with indigenous descent whose main income is based on the sale of sheep and goat fibres (wool and mohair) aimed at the textile industry and export market. Meat is home-consumed or sold on the regional market. Production is based on low input systems, difficult environmental conditions (high frequency of droughts, snowfalls and volcanic eruptions) and limited marketing facilities.
In a context of highly dispersed production, the primary cooperatives concentrate the fibre produced by their members with the help of FECORSUR. Shearing dates are coordinated and wool or mohair is classed and sampled for testing at the INTA Laboratory. FECORSUR then organizes auctions, attracting local and sometimes foreign buyers. Additionally, FECORSUR plays an important role in improving the household economy by coordinating wholesale purchases and distribution of products.
FECORSUR is also instrumental in articulation of breeding projects, organizing the procurement and distribution of breeding stock. FECORSUR is working on several projects to facilitate the sheep and goat meat marketing in the region. For example, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, a sheep fattening, slaughter, meat storage and marketing was established in the city of Ing. Jacobacci.

The Federación de Cooperativas de la Región Sur Cooperativa Limitada (FECORSUR) is a full partner of the EDULIVE project. It contributes experience of a cooperative association in collaborating with famers and other stakeholders of the livestock sector in Argentina. FECORSUR is the entry point for the EDULIVE project’s direct involvement of small producers in Argentina. FECORSUR is not leading a WP, but is involved in many work packages. In WP1, FECORSUR represents the needs and demands of farmers and farmer organisations. It supports the consultation process and links the consortium to farmers to integrate their opinions on the needs for university curricula in Animal Sciences. In WP2, FECORSUR supports the establishment of cooperation mechanisms in their role as farmers’ association. In WP5 and WP7, FECORSUR collaborates with Argentinian universities in higher education as internship host, expert lecturers and by offering field visit opportunities. In WP6 and WP8, FECORSUR is part of the evaluation of new mechanisms and activities implemented by the EDULIVE project.

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