It is the intent of the Legislature that the center support research, education, and extension activities that advance the body of knowledge concerning cooperatives in general and address the needs of California’s agricultural and nonagricultural cooperatives such as:
(a)
Support for teaching programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
(b)
Support for research addressing economic, marketing, social, technology development, and other issues relating to cooperatives.
(c)
Dissemination of information on existing programs, services, and publications available to cooperatives through federal, state, university, and public sector sources.
(d)
Development and dissemination of education materials relating to cooperatives.
(e)
Coordination of meetings, conferences, seminars, and related education programs for cooperative leaders, boards of directors, managers, members of cooperatives, and others.
(f)
Encouragement of greater interest in cooperatives by the academic community through student involvement, internships, support of visiting scholars, and other means.
(g)
Support strengthening the economic role of cooperatives in state, national, and international trade.