The role of agricultural cooperatives in achieving sustainable development challenges

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), consisting of 17 global goals that came into effect on 1 January 2016 (UN, 2015). These goals also aim to address key global challenges such as poverty, hunger, health and well-being, gender equality, sustainable development and climate change by 2030. The article aims to determine the role of agricultural cooperatives in achieving the Sustainable Development Challenges, as well as to examine the current state of agricultural cooperatives in our republic. The conducted research proves that social and financial investments in small farmers accelerate progress towards achieving multiple SDGs. In this study, the current state of agricultural cooperatives in the world and in our republic was studied through a comparative analysis. For this purpose, the goals of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the Sustainable Development Challenges were analyzed in a mutual manner.