Capper-Volstead Act Law and Legal Definition
The Co-operative Marketing Associations Act is a federal law adopted by the United States Congress on February 18, 1922. The act exempted certain types of voluntary agricultural cooperative associations from the application of antitrust laws. It authorized various kinds of agricultural producers to form voluntary co-operative associations for purposes of producing, handling and marketing farm products. The secretary of agriculture was given the power to regulate these associations to prevent them from achieving and maintaining monopolies. The secretary could hold hearings, determine facts, and issue orders which are ultimately subject to review by federal district courts. The act is an example of legislative aid to agricultural cooperatives and of the delegation of adjudicative power to an administrative agency. The Co-operative Marketing Associations Act is referred to as the Magna Carta of Cooperation. It is also called the Capper-Volstead Act.
