In the /950s and 1960s Tanzania had the third largest co-operative movement in the world. These co-operatives provided economic and social protection to members so that poor peasants could sell their crops even in years of bad world market prices. The services provided by co-operatives, like education and trusteeship for peasants who took out loans, collapsed when the government abolished cooperatives in 1976. They were re-introduced.in 1982 but, due to their abolition, they had lost capital, personnel and members. The current co-operatives are much weaker than the pre-1976 ones and cannot provide the same kind of protection they once did. Cooperatives have still a great potential for social and economic protection but much change in the government policy on cooperatives is needed.
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