Bringing together the diverse perspectives of academics and practitioners, this volume offers original and timely analyses of the use of competitive strategy analysis by and for agricultural marketing cooperatives. The topics discussed include horizontal and vertical integration, product differentiation, strategic planning from a business perspective, and common marketing agencies. Contributors also suggest new strategic directions that cooperatives might pursue. This book provides valuable insights for scholars of agricultural trade, economics, and business as well as agricultural marketing economists, policymakers and industry practitioners. As debates over NAFTA and GATT continue, agricultural trade issues remain at the forefront of policy and trade concerns. This timely study explores the evolution of agricultural marketing cooperatives within the framework of competitive strategy analysis.Bringing together the diverse perspectives of academics and practitioners, this volume offers fresh insights into topics such as horizontal and vertical integration, product differentiation, strategic planning from a business perspective, and common marketing agencies as well as suggesting new strategic directions that cooperatives might pursue. This book will be useful for scholars of agricultural trade, economics, and business as well as agricultural marketing economists, policymakers, and industry practitioners. -- Publisher description.