Section 92690 Of Chapter 7. The Center For Cooperatives From California Education Code >> Division 9. >> Title 3. >> Part 57. >> Chapter 7.
92690
. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) That California consumers enjoy the economic benefits of a
substantial cooperative business sector. An estimated one million
people participate in a diversity of consumer cooperatives that
includes, but is not limited to, housing, child care, food, insurance
and health care, student, rural electric, senior citizen, cable, and
funeral cooperatives, as well as employee-owned arts and crafts
cooperatives and other small business cooperatives. Credit unions, as
financial cooperatives, provide services to over 6.2 million
members.
In addition, over 40,000 California farmers belong to agricultural
cooperatives which produce and market over six billion dollars
($6,000,000,000) of food and fiber products annually.
(b) That land grant universities of this nation, including the
University of California, have a long tradition of providing
research, educational, and extension programs of direct interest to
cooperatives.
(c) That public understanding of the nature and role of
cooperatives is minimal. In general, the public does not understand
how the cooperative form of business structure is being utilized for
their benefit.
(d) That public understanding about the benefits of the
cooperative form of business could be greatly improved through a
coordinated effort by the University of California and other
institutions of higher education to focus on the role of cooperatives
in the California economy.
(e) That in the fast changing world economic environment it is
important to California that its cooperatives remain a dynamic sector
within the state's economy. In order to enhance this sector's
development the state is asked to support the establishment of a
Center for Cooperatives.
(f) That the establishment of a Center for Cooperatives would help
to meet the growing need for information, knowledge, and the
professional skills necessary to increase the competitiveness of
California's cooperatives in the state, national, and world trade and
economy.