Efficiency as a performance measure for Colombian agricultural cooperatives

Associated work cooperatives, which belong to the Colombian agricultural sector, contribute significantly to the solidarity-based economy, by generating employment and GDP growth. However, their performance is little studied. The objective of this paper is to analyze which the determinants of efficiency of these organizations are during the 2003-2015 period. The methodology used is the non-parametric two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique. The results indicate technical efficiency of 21% on average, with an annual growth trend in the number of efficient organizations. Finally, the management of the administrators and the increase in the number of associates are considered determinants of efficiency.