One of the best panel discussions I heard at the Appalachian Studies Association Conference was on “Cooperatives and Sustainable Development in Appalachia.” Convened by Shaunna Scott of the University of Kentucky. It is seen in the video above. It included J. Todd Nesbitt of Lock Haven University, Hannah Scott of the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at Ohio State University, and Myrissa Christy of the Kentucky Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (KCARD). Potentially, employee owned co-ops are to be a good way to revitalize the area’s economy.
J. Todd Nesbitt discussed successful coop efforts in the Basque region in Spain and in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. These efforts survived the financial crises of 2008 while other areas of Spain and Italy fell victim with high levels of unemployment.
Afterward Hannah Scott spoke of her center’s efforts to assist cooperatives in getting set up. It is located at the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental (CFAES) sciences at Ohio state. She recommended the Keystone Development Center for assistance for aspiring co-ops in Pennsylvania. They have set up over 90 co-ops in Ohio.
Finally, Myrissa Christy spoke of her center’s efforts to develop sustainable agricultural co-ops in the wake of tornadoes and flooding in 2021. They offer financial and other recovery services for farmers hut by floods. The group has been successful in setting up co-ops as well.
These efforts sound promising for creating a sustainable business model for the Allegheny region of Pennsylvania. All credit unions are employee owned co-ops while the Green Bay Packers are a fan owned co-op. These are successful efforts. Because they are an employee owned co-op, they are not susceptible to the whims of predatory capitalists. There are also examples of coop media ventures to prevent rural areas from becoming news deserts.