Cooperative societies in Zambia are organisations that belong to the people who use their services. Their control rests equally with all their members. Gains from cooperative societies are distributed among the members in proportion to the use they make of their services or the interest they show in their society. Cooperative Societies are required to register with the Zambian Government's Registrar of Cooperative Societies.
A cooperative society in Zambia is a voluntary association that is set up with the aim of servicing all its members. It is a form of business where individuals have something in common. For example, small scale farmers in a given area may join hands in order to push for cheaper agricultural inputs and promote their produce.
The purpose behind an agricultural cooperative society is usually to provide goods and services, for example seed and fertiliser, to the members at a reasonable cost, with the aim of encouraging them towards productivity, savings and investment, such as buying farm equipment.