PR - The Introduction Of A Supply Chain/Consumer Focus In Farmer Controlled Businesses In The UK

This paper assesses the effectiveness of the traditional models of cooperation and analyses best practice in collaboration between farmers seeking to gain significantly greater scale and flexibility in an increasingly global food chain. The UK grocery retail sector is one of the most concentrated in Europe and the total income from farming is estimated to have fallen 11% in real terms in comparison with 2004. Drawing upon broader strategic management thinking and relevant international practice, the study seeks to identify new feasible models for farmer collaboration. Existing forms and attitudes towards traditional business cooperation in the UK farming sector will continue to be insufficient to gain adequate market power and profitability within an increasingly competitive global food and farming industry. UK farmer collaboration needs to address the global scale of the food supply chain and to do so is likely to require a radical re-think of the most appropriate business structures and alliances.

Keywords: supply chain, UK, model, farmer collaboration.