On cooperation in science started its development in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Proceedings MI Tugan-Baranovsky, AF Fortunatova, AI Chuprov, KA Pajitnov and other scientists greatly influenced the world famous scientist Alexander Chayanov, generated the theory of agricultural cooperation in general and credit cooperatives in particular  valley credit union .

The underlying theory of the co-operative is the idea put forward by the theorists of cooperation, which include A. Chayanov, that cooperation is not only a new economic system, but a new moral world. This is a new socio-economic and moral-ethical system is formed gradually in the existing society. Cooperation, as a social movement, very different from all other forms of social movements, "cooperation unites all without exception, who wants to create a collective effort and distribute equitably the material and spiritual values," - wrote one of the theoreticians of science Merkulov.

According to his principle of co-operative is a democratic institution, representing the movement of the general population, voluntarily established business organizations on the basis of the initiative. All the members of the cooperative still responsible for business operations of the organization and all are equal in decision making. According to ML Kheisin, "meaning participants in cooperation to determine the state of its capital, the number of units made. It is determined by the value of the individual. "

AV Chayanov wrote that "the basic idea of ​​agricultural cooperation is highly simple. If we carefully examine the circumstances of the farm, we can make sure that in a number of industries to the large form immediately gives itself a great benefit. Moreover, almost always possible without disrupting the rest of the economy without destroying the labor of family farms, to separate the individual work and connect them with neighbors in one common big deal "(30, p. 29).

Any farm diversified, it includes the following activities:

• production of cereals, vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, poultry farming;
• marketing of these products;
• Storage;
• processing;
• transportation;
• harvesting of hay, feed;
• the purchase of seed, fertilizer, feed, livestock elite;
• construction of industrial and residential areas;
• repair of agricultural machinery;
• conducting agricultural, veterinary and animal husbandry operations;
• insurance and lending.
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The above activities can be carried out successfully and profitably through the production, supply, marketing, processing, transportation, and credit cooperatives. It could be multipurpose (multifunctional) and single-function cooperatives. Gradually, the primary multi-purpose cooperatives together in partnerships, alliances at the local, regional and national levels.
 
AV Chayanov the most typical example of butter-making associations. "Currently, we average them over four thousand in Western Siberia, Vyatka, Vologda, and other provinces of the North and in the Kuban. We see that they are incorporated into local unions, of which, in turn, in 1924. All maslosoyuz formed. Combining into a whole production of oil, he was the world's largest oil company on the market and it is natural that to him in power to use all technical enhancements and all organizational improvements that can be achieved in these days "(29, p. 102).

Farm belonging to a union, being wound up, but remain small enterprises. Agricultural cooperative in this case is in addition to an independent business. Finally develops vertical integration of one or more activities of farms  valley credit union .

AV Chayanov proved the advantages of co-operation activities of individual farms before artels, communes, ie horizontal integration, which united the entire property. Scientist, defending a thesis on the stability of the peasant (farm), implicitly questioned the known position of the major advantages of production in comparison with small agriculture. In his opinion, based on their own observations and explained to them in theory, the exact execution of work as soon as possible, saving on material factors and land areas in transportation, economic use of the means of production - these are the advantages of small farms maintain their independence in the collaboration.

Innovative approach A. Chayanov in the development of the cooperative movement can be summarized in the following theses:

• Determine the economic content of the cooperative process and the selection of his operations, which should be organized in large and collectively;
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• resolution of the dispute on the advantages of large and small-scale farming: intensive operations better to produce small farms, extensive - large;
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• the classification of the forms of agricultural cooperatives;
• Introduce the concept of economic cooperation between the state and small farms, ensuring the fulfillment of the state order, in which co-operation does not lose its independence  valley credit union .