This paper is part of a larger research project on Tunisian cooperativism that addresses the question of how the history of planning represented an attempt to resolve agrarian questions of economics, politics, and industrialization. This paper sets out to understand the ambitions that drove economic planning and the impact it had on Tunisia’s past. The politics of cooperatives in Tunisia during the 1960s reflects a pivotal era in the nation’s history characterized by ambitious state-led development initiatives, social transformation, and the pursuit of economic and societal modernization. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the political dynamics surrounding the establishment, management, and impact of cooperatives in Tunisia during this transformative period. State intervention played a crucial role in creating rural cooperatives as a component of a “Tunisian socialism” and with the goal to address socio-economic inequalities and stimulate agricultural productivity. Viewing cooperatives as instruments for achieving national development goals and consolidating political control, this paper traces the “roads taken”, by Tunisia’s post-independence governments. We highlight the ideological underpinnings of the cooperative movement – cooperatives as vehicles for advancing socialist principles of collective ownership, solidarity and rural empowerment – as well as their material supports – financial backing, technical assistance, and regulatory frameworks for cooperative formation as well as the significant influence over cooperative governance structures and decision-making processes.