The Power of CUMA Farm Co-Ops to Fuel Innovation
This momentum is partly driven by CUMA co-ops (Coopérative d’utilisation de matériel agricole, loosely translated as “cooperatives for the use of farm machinery”), which bring farmers together for the purpose of sharing agricultural equipment.
Think about it: rather than each getting their own state-of-the-art tractor, several farmers can pool their resources to buy one together and split maintenance costs. This empowers members to access more modern and efficient equipment that is often out of their budget.
Beyond machinery sharing, CUMA co-ops introduce whole new practices focused on collaboration and collective intelligence. Broadening access to a fleet of equipment helps maximize usage while reducing environmental impact, in addition to paving the way toward innovative and sustainable practices for even more farm producers.
Since several agricultural businesses can bear the costs together, it becomes less risky to try out novel methods or progressive agri-environmental approaches. Leading-edge equipment, which often comes with a hefty price tag, becomes affordable even for smaller farms and provides them with new opportunities. Thanks to the experience and support of an entire farming community, producers find it much less daunting to adopt new methods.
Approximately 2,000 agricultural businesses have already joined a CUMA in Quebec. Their success clearly demonstrates that when farms invest together, everyone wins.