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
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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Co-operation and co-ops are ideally placed to drive forward innovation and supply chain relationships that enable shared risk-taking and scalability, both amongst farmers and in their connections with supply chain customers.
We at SAOS believe that there is real value for farmers in pulling together their data and utilising it in the supply chain, to meet customer needs on the one hand, and to help direct farm decision making for profit margin on the other.
Co-ops are best placed to do this, enabling farmers to pool information, act cohesively, and retain ownership of their data.
SAOS has proposed to Scottish Government and the Cabinet Secretary’s Agriculture Champions that future farm policy should include incentives for innovation through co-operation. There is a clear need to ensure that ‘smart marketing’ further along the supply chain, links more effectively with ‘smart farming’, utilising data technologies and more collaborative business models.
The Cabinet Secretary’s Agriculture Champions were struck by the “great potential in encouraging greater use of collaboration”:
Standing still is not an option for businesses in today’s fast-changing world of political, population consumer and climate challenges. Being flexible and responsive to market drivers is the key to sustainable business success.
Get in touch to find out how we can help you to innovate.