Membership Size and Cooperative Performance: Evidence from Ghanaian Cocoa Producers' Societies, 1930–36

Using a complete panel of Ghanaian cocoa producers' societies in the 1930s, we investigate whether group interaction problems threatened (1) capital accumulation, (2) cocoa sales and (3) cooperative survival as membership size increased. We find evidence of group interaction problems. The net effect, however, is positive indicating gains from economies of scale as cooperatives expanded their membership.