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.
Our work centres on facilitating farmers and food and drink businesses to work together effectively. Over the years we've developed several subsidiary businesses - getting the right people together and making innovative advancements to help benefit the entire food and farming industry 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
We were commissioned to undertake a feasibility project to explore the creation of a quality assurance scheme for Scottish Langoustines.
Seafood Scotland commissioned SAOS to conduct a feasibility project to explore the development and operation of a quality assurance scheme for the Scottish Langoustine (Nephrops) sector.
We facilitated a multi-stakeholder project which included Seafood Scotland, the Scottish Nephrops Programme Board, creel fishers, trawlermen, Fishery Producer Organisations and fish processors.
SAOS undertook this work in various phases including:
1) scoping the potential for a scheme by conducting market research into the supply chain requirements and assessing options for delivery
2) developing scheme standards and operational processes
3) designing and implementing a pilot project and working with the industry to prepare for a scheme launch.
The twin impacts of Brexit and COVID-19 caused significant challenges to the Scottish langoustine sector which was worth £100m in 2019. As a result, a Programme Board was established to review how the sector could respond to the various economic challenges and help position the sector to become the global leader in the future.
This included proposals to help recover and develop new markets; to improve efficiency, environmental sustainability and product quality; to encourage investment and innovation; and to increase the information available across the supply chain. Assessing the feasibility of development of an assurance scheme was a key recommendation of the product quality workstream.
SAOS played a pivotal role by:
We played a pivotal role in a project exploring the use of alternative fertilisers in the Scotch Whisky supply chain.
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We are helping potato growers to become more productive, profitable and sustainable by reducing their environmental impact.
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Helping co‑op grower members on their journey to lower carbon production systems to meet the expectations of both the Scotch Whisky Industry and Scottish Government.
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Exploring intercropping (the growing of two or more companion crops together) as a route to reduce the impact of crop production on the environment and create high value food and drink products.
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MyHerdStats is a service for cattle keepers delivered through ScotEID, Scotland’s statutory livestock registration and movement database (a subsidiary business of SAOS).
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Scottish Land Matching Service - Building Foundations for Future Success
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We were commissioned to undertake a feasibility project to explore the creation of a quality assurance scheme for Scottish Langoustines.
Read more