Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that make an agricultural cooperative effective and sustainable and to identify their interrelation.

Methods: This is a qualitative single case-study research. Ten semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted along with direct observation to gather qualitative data. Four of the interviewees were part of the cooperative’s leadership and six of them were farmers-members of the cooperative. For the analysis of the data, the content analysis method was used.

Findings: The study shows that intangible factors as the cooperative’s independence, opportunism, trust, commitment and participation of the members, and information sharing greatly influence the agricultural cooperative enterprise’s performance and sustainability.

Suggestions for further research: Multiple case studies with a comparative approach or a study that combines qualitative and quantitative methodology (mixed method strategy), which means a larger sample, could be useful for a deeper understanding and confirmation of this study’s results.

Contribution of the thesis: This study provides theoretical insights on the factors influencing the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural cooperatives as well as their interrelations. It discusses factors such as independence, trust, information and knowledge sharing and members’ participation and commitment and concludes that they are essential elements of a well performing and sustainable cooperative. Also, the study finds that all of these factors are related with each other and if one of them is not satisfied then the whole system will fail. The results of this study can be utilized as a steppingstone for further research on this subject. It can also help cooperatives’ leadership and membership by giving practical knowledge on how cooperatives can be efficient by making the appropriate changes in their operations.

Key words: agricultural cooperatives, performance, sustainability, independence, opportunism, trust, commitment, participation, information sharing.