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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.

What we do

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.

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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.

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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.

What's New

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

What we do/Co-operation/The Co-operative Solution/ Producer Organisation Aid Scheme

Producer Organisation Aid Scheme

Producer Organisation Aid Scheme

The experience from the horticulture sector, where co-operation is common, shows how making match funding available through formal co-operatives can kick-start collaboration and transform sectors.

This Angus Growers Case Study demonstrates how co-investment with industry can drive innovation and unlock growth, as well as helping businesses adapt to market demands and become more sustainable. (Click on the image to read more).

The Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme has supported growth, efficiency, and positive environmental practices. It has delivered socio-economic and environmental benefits in a very targeted, cost-effective way. The administration of very specific Operational Programmes is focused. Officials liaise with a handful of Producer Organisations (POs), rather than their multiple individual producer members.

We want government to continue, and also expand, this scheme (crucially, with match-funding) to include Defra-recognised dairy POs. We would like to see the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme evolve, to:

  • Expand and become a Producer Organisations Aid Scheme.
  • Attract a significant level of co-investment from industry through match-funding.
  • Approve and match-fund operational programmes to deliver Scottish agricultural policy objectives, as defined in the recent Scottish Agriculture and Rural Communities Act.

We think that a Producer Organisations Aid Scheme could be developed by:

  • Initiating a pilot

    • To develop and test the approach with the dairy sector.
    • Gauge potential uptake and assess how far match-funding for POs could deliver against the Scottish Government’s policy outcomes, in addition to delivering value for producers and consumers.

  • Aiming to support 5-year Operational Programmes

    • To support ambition and unlock higher levels of match-funding by industry.