Agricultural insurance mechanisms through mutualism: the case of an agricultural cooperative

The aim of this article is to verify how the mutualism model is applied in cooperatives to mitigate risks. We conducted a single, holistic case study of an agribusiness cooperative in Parana State. The data were collected from June to September 2014. Four applications of the mutualism model were identified, specifically to mitigate risks of weather for grain (corn, beans and soybeans) farmers, death by lightning, brucellosis and tuberculosis for cattle farmers and the volatility of prices for pig farmers. Through the mutualism model, it was observed that cooperatives find solutions for their specific agribusiness sector problems. Cooperative companies are the managers and coordinators of the entire insurance mechanism to address the risks involved in their activities or/and the activities of their members. The mutualism model has been effective for covering common risks. However, like regular insurance, it proved to be ineffective in the case of catastrophes.