Scotland’s experts on farmer co-ops and food industry collaboration, we work with food and farming businesses to make them more profitable, competitive, and sustainable - #workingtogether to shape the future, today.
All our work helps facilitate farmers and food and drink businesses to work together effectively. Over the years we've expanded and developed subsidiary businesses - getting the right people together and making innovative advancements - to help benefit food, farming and rural Scotland.
Developing staff capability is one of the most effective ways to improve a co-op’s performance. Check out our events and training programme - most of which are open to non co-op members too.
As a development organisation, owned by our members, we provide a range of specialist services not available elsewhere, to assist them in developing their people and their businesses. Get in touch to find out how we can help you.
See below for all the latest news, views and updates from us here at SAOS. Find all our latest videos on YouTube at: SAOS - working together in food and farming
With more than 25 years of executive leadership experience across the private, cooperative and public sectors, Andy helps agricultural businesses, farmer organisations and food system stakeholders navigate change, strengthen governance and build resilient supply chains.
His career spans commercial agriculture, international development, food assurance, cooperative leadership and industry policy. He has have led farmer-owned organisations through major market disruptions including Brexit, Covid-19, labour shortages, supply chain disruption and the impacts of global conflicts. As Managing Director of Scottish Pig Producers and now Technical & Sustainability Director of United Pig Cooperative, Andy has helped develop one of the UK's largest livestock marketing co-operatives, representing significant producer interests and co-ordinating complex supply chains worth hundreds of millions of pounds annually.
Earlier in his career Andy worked internationally, managing agricultural development initiatives across Eastern Europe and South Asia, supporting agribusiness restructuring, delivering an EU-funded project in post-war Bosnia Herzegovina and developing livestock supply chains in emerging markets.
His expertise includes:
• Agricultural co-operatives and farmer organisations
• Agrifood systems transformation
• Supply chain resilience and market development
• Governance, strategy and board development
• Sustainability and climate adaptation
• Quality assurance and traceability systems
• Stakeholder engagement and public policy
• Livestock and protein supply chains
• Agricultural recovery and reconstruction programmes
Alongside executive leadership roles, Andy has served on numerous industry boards and advisory groups covering food systems, sustainability, agricultural reform, education, assurance and sector development.
He has a particular interest in advisory, consultancy and non-executive opportunities supporting agricultural development, food security, rural economic growth and agrifood system resilience in Eastern Europe and Ukraine.