Agricultural co-operatives in France grow and work in many different areas of agricultural production. A fundamental question in various debates is: "whether it is different or similar to other companies and what is its future?". All designations: doctrinal, economic, legal, and social do not give a comprehensive answer to define the essence of this kind of companies. The author of this article presents a synthesis of different points of view about cooperatives and at the end of it a new definition of agricultural cooperation is given.
At the time of markets' globalization in Western Europe, a new paradigm of co-operative activity has emerged. It is the subjeet of numerous diseussions and questions on the meaning of co-operative activities. The opinions are ambiguous since there are many deeision makers and various interests are involved. Who is, then, more in favor of a co-operative movement? Author aims to answer this one and many others question in her article based on numerous experienees achieved by the French seientists.