Abstract
The increasingly free and open trade and economic system requires Indonesian economic actors to make thorough preparations so that they will be able to compete with foreign competitors, not only in the domestic market but also in the global market. In the context of free trade, the Indonesian government has taken a firm stance by no longer relying on protectionist policies in the development of the business sector. Based on these conditions, an important question arises: is cooperative management capable of enabling cooperatives to compete in the free market? Furthermore, can cooperative management anticipate global competition characterized by a buyer's market? This study discusses the empowerment of village cooperatives in responding to the challenges of increasingly open economic competition and the need to strengthen cooperative management to improve competitiveness.