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Scotland’s experts on farmer co-ops and food industry collaboration, we provide a range of specialist information and development services to help businesses work together more effectively. #workingtogether we grow

What we do

Now more than ever, it’s vital for farmers and food and drink businesses to work together more effectively - all of SAOS’s work centres on facilitating this.

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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.

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Membership/Member Services/ Co-op Development Plan

Co-op Development Plan

Every year, SAOS undertakes a range of projects to help develop co-operation and collaboration across our members’ co-op businesses and the wider rural community.

The overall aim is to underpin the development of co-ops and contribute to growing co-operation and collaboration towards the following outcomes:

  • Sustainable growth in profitability through increased market-orientation, competitiveness and resource efficiency
  • Increased productivity achieved through accelerated innovation
  • Better connection of agriculture with the food and drink sector
  • Higher levels of resilience to shocks and future challenges
  • A lower carbon and more climate-resilient economy.

The work is funded by Scottish Government through Scotland Food & Drink’s Ambition 2030.

In the current year (2019/20) we have eight distinct projects, many of which are ongoing while some are new, such as the Co-op Innovation Service. Below are all the projects and the benefits to participating co-ops. Another of the benefits of participating is that member co-ops receive a number of free development days from SAOS.