Improving Institutional Capacity:
Strengthening Farmer Organizations in the OIC Member Countries
87
1. Does the country have a co-operative law that gives legal standing to farmer
organizations?
Group Country Y/N Source Comments
African Countries (cont’d)
Mozambique

Agency for International
Development / The
cooperative law &
regulation initiative
(CLARITY)
In 2009, Mozambique did not have a cooperative law.
Farmers’ cooperatives around the country
used a farmer association law to formalize their
organizations. However, that law does not envision
such associations operating as independent businesses
and fails to give them many of the
basic powers needed to operate a successful enterprise.
Niger 
This law was passed on the 6th of November 1996. The
law defines cooperatives as organizations formed by
individuals with the aim of addressing a shared problem.
FOs as well as other producer organizations fall under
this definition. See additional resources folder for a full
guide to this law.
Nigeria

Nigerian Co-Operative Societies Act aims to provide for
the registration and operation of co-operative societies
throughout the Federation and for related purposes.
Togo

ternational
The law on farmer organizations in Togo dates back to
September 1971. This law defines the conditions for the
creation of FOs and their governance. It is heavily
influenced by French legislation that was passed since as
early as 1901. Additionally, Togo is part of the
"Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in
Africa" (OHADA) and hence adopts legislation passed by
this organization. Notably, Togo has adopted OHADA's
uniform act for the rights of cooperatives.
Uganda

Cooperative Societies Statute 1991 / Cap 112(2000); the
Cooperative Societies Regulations; and the Cooperative
Model By-laws.
Arab Countries
Algeria

Articles 53-56 of the 08-16 Law (2008): (i) allows the
creation of FO; (ii) mandates that the FO be a non-profit
organization with the goals of facilitating production
processes, reducing input prices, and improving the
quality of products; (iii) outlines guidelines for FO
creation; (iv) allows creation of unions of FOs.
Comoros  As of 2009, there is no formal law; but agricultural
cooperatives exist.
Djibouti 
This law dates back to 1901 and forbids cooperatives
from making profit.. A new law was proposed in
parliament in 2013. This law allows for the creation of
cooperative enterprises and for farmers to freely create
autonomous and independent organizations.
Iraq 
The first cooperative law in Iraq was adopted in 1922.
There are currently three co-operative laws in Iraq:
Number 202 (1977); number 85 (1982); number 1992
(15). The 1992 law was amended twice in 1994 and
1999.
Jordan 
Jordan has had a co-operative law since 1952. It was
amended a couple of times to incorporate comments and
recommendations from the ILO, eventually resulting in
the adoption of Law No.18 in 1997.
Kuwait 
Kuwait does have a co-operative law that gives legal
standing to farmer organizations. In the first half of the
20th century, the operations of co-operatives were
organized by the law of social organizations and clubs,
as no specific law for cooperatives existed at the time.
However, the issuance of the law No.20 of 1962 brought
a law that was specific to the establishment,
membership, management, control, dissolving and
liquidation issues of cooperatives in Kuwait.