Southern Alternatives Agricultural Cooperative, Inc., is a cooperative located in Leslie, Georgia, owned by a group of black women and formed in 1997 for the purpose of producing shelled pecans and pecan candies. The cooperative operates a processing plant in Leslie and buys pecans from its member black growers, who normally do not share in the profits of the nation’s leading pecan-producing region.

The women behind this cooperative are lifelong advocates that are determined to accept the challenge of learning the ins and outs of operating a pecan processing plant as a means to address the need for new enterprise and opportunities for poor, untrained, and undervalued individuals in southwest Georgia. By training and employing local people, they hope to build a sense of pride and stability in their community for both young and old alike.

As pioneers, many of these women have led a community advocacy group called Smithies Women on the Move that runs an after-school program, holds voter registration drives and seeks to prevent injustice by monitoring both courts and council meetings. Other community activities include ministering to the elderly with home visits and field trips, and ministering to prisoners through correspondence and by hosting their families.

Southern Alternatives Agricultural Cooperative, Inc. is a member of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund and receives technical assistance from the Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative (SRBWI). They have received support from Equal Exchange, Oxfam America, and the Presbyterian Self Development of People fund.