LH 사태 이후 농협 조합원자격 법제 개선방안 검토: 고령(은퇴)농업인과 농협 거버넌스를 중심으로

Abstract

This study points out the problem that senior retired farmers cannot effectively maintain their membership in the Coop. due to the practice of only sticking to the agricultural business registration as evidence and the qualifications for membership strengthening after the LH speculation incident. It is not justified in any way that senior retired farmers are excluded from the strengthened legal system to prevent fake farmers. First, apart from the term retired farmer, there is no retirement age in agriculture. There is a provision in the Agricultural and Fishery Quality of Life Act that supports the retirement age to be 70 years or older. Therefore, if you are in good health and can act, it is reasonable to maintain the membership of the farmer’s union. Second, although there is dogma (coop. members = farmers) in our legal system, agricultural activities are not limited to primary industries for production purposes in developed countries. Therefore, it is right to grant union membership by giving additional points to activities such as distribution, processing, and service that value intelligence rather than physical strength of senior retired farmers. Third, rather than regulating the qualifications of union members through administrative legislation, it is necessary to have the autonomy of the articles of incorporation to determine the qualifications of union members in the articles of association according to the conditions of the union or the type of economic business. Lastly, for the governance and identity of the Cooperatives, senior retired farmers are not a target for reorganization but a necessary existence. Considering that there is no retirement age in agriculture, it is necessary to prepare a system that actively accepts senior retired farmers as members of the Cooperatives.