| Collaborative Working |
By working together smaller and medium sized businesses can increase their potential to grow. Although collaboration has often been seen as challenging, it can offer considerable cost savings through pooling resources, improved business productivity and better access to markets. Collaborative working can also provide wider environmental and social benefits for rural communities, as well as being an effective way of communicating best practice.
Sharing resources can offer small farmers access to professional marketing and technical advice; it can strengthen their hand in negotiations with large consumers or suppliers (for example, distributors) and can ultimately boost efficiency and profitability. It is something that this Plan wholeheartedly encourages. Practical hands-on advice to help farmer controlled businesses (FCBs) and others wishing to collaborate includes information on sourcing, reducing the cost of inputs, minimising and adding value to the cost of production and maximising the impact of marketing farm produce to customers.
Greater collaboration and stronger relationships between farm businesses and their suppliers should be encouraged. This is particularly relevant in the red meat sector, where there is significant scope for increasing the low proportion of red meat marketed through co-operatives.
The English Farming and Food Partnership (EFFP) aim is to strengthen the profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of England’s farming, food and related farm-based industries. It aims to achieve this through the growth of market focused farmer controlled businesses and other initiatives and by developing co-operation and partnership activities not only between farmers but also between farmers and the food chain.
One of the main findings of EFFP research suggests that farmers consider collaboration to be increasingly important in their future, but they are not always aware of the opportunities open to them or indeed even the existence and whereabouts of FCBs which could provide valuable services to help their businesses.
Furhter information about EFFP and their work can be found in the Supply Chains section of the website.
The Rural Enterprise Gateway (REG) provides a 'one-stop-shop' to help farmers and rural businesses develop and adapt to change. The website offers a wealth of information, training and business development support to rural businesses and in particular, agricultural and land-based business groups.
REG also acts as a gateway to other initiatives that help rural businesses develop ideas and expertise across the region and make the most of the wide range of support available to them. Visit the about us page of their website for more information.
The Gateway aims to improve the competitiveness, profitability and sustainability of rural business in its widest sense. In doing so, this will improve relationships across the supply chain. Strong networking arrangements are being developed with other advice deliverers such as NFU, CLA, FWAG, AONB teams, Environment Agency and English Nature (Natural England).
- The Information Gateway is accessible to all rural land-based businesses. Telephone 0845 600 9966 or contact your local Business Link for business support, training or research queries.
- Group Facilitation - groups of farmers and other land-based businesses can access training and other skills development facilities such as best practice missions, workshops and study tours.
- The Knowledge Network - a partnership between the University of Plymouth and the Royal Agricultural College acts as an interface between the research community and rural/land-based businesses.
For more information on the Knowledge Network contact Dr Karen Murray, Senior Research Fellow, University of Plymouth, on 01626 325856 or email Karen.Murray@plymouth.ac.uk
View a comprehensive list of forthcoming events in the region.
For more information contact David Hynd, REG Project Manager on 0845 6009966 or email David.Hynd@blpeninsula.co.uk
Last Updated 31Apr08