This paper examines the recent decision of the UK authorities to extend co‐operative organisation by the creation of second‐tier co‐operatives. It does this in the light of the development of second‐ and third‐tier co‐operatives elsewhere in the EEC and compares their characteristics with those of the proposed British institutions. The overall conclusion is that the measures proposed for the promotion of supra‐co‐operative organisation in the UK are likely to be insufficient, of themselves, to produce the advantages which such organisation has encouraged on the Continent of Europe but that they will begin the process of attitude change on the part of co‐operative managers and farmer‐members which is an essential prerequisite of a successful policy for second