SAOS, the voice of Scotland’s £1.6 billion food and farming co-operative sector, has today launched a manifesto to prompt government action to strengthen Scotland’s food security and accelerate rural economic growth.

The manifesto sets out five practical asks of the Scottish Government to put co-operation at the heart of its approach to food security, economic resilience, and  environment protection. Its publication comes as Scotland’s food and farming industry faces a period of unprecedented change and volatility, with producers navigating the impact of global conflict, extreme weather, a technology revolution, and skills and funding challenges.

 SAOS represents co-operatives in every corner of Scotland – from the Hebrides to Aberdeenshire, and from the borders to Shetland. Co-ops come in many forms. Some allow farmers to share expensive machinery and access training. Some invest many millions in large processing facilities, others market their products under one brand.  Together, the annual turnover of Scottish co-ops is more than £1.6 billion. Half of all Scottish oats, and 1.4 billion litres of milk (a third of Scottish production output) are produced by co-ops[1].

 Co-operatives allow individual businesses to work together, sharing resources and pooling investment whilst retaining their individual ownership and identity. But despite the scale and importance of this collaborative model, and the ability of co-ops to increase resilience, and to drive innovation and environmental measures at scale, co-ops are often overlooked or forgotten about in policy-making and funding eligibility.

 The manifesto sets out five practical steps government could take:

1. Set a national ambition for co-operative growth with a delivery strategy behind it.
2. Make co-operation a preferred delivery route in agricultural policy.
3. Open new markets for producers who choose to work together.
4. Fix the funding and regulation exclusions that exclude collaborative projects rather than support them.
5. Commit to shared investment in the infrastructure, technology and data.

 The Scottish Government has already recognised co-operation in the Agricultural and Rural Communities Act. However, there remains no clear plan to drive forward the next generation of co-operatives. Meanwhile, the UK Government has committed to doubling the size of the co-operative economy, and a £10m package of support directly focused on co-operative development has just been announced.

 Tim Bailey, Chief Executive at SAOS, said: “The challenges farmers and food producers  face in the coming decade are as significant as anything over the last century.  We are talking about the potential collapse of some global food systems, amidst a whirlwind of geopolitical conflict, rapid climate change and extreme weather.

“At the same time, we are living in an era where wealth is being increasingly transferred away from communities and into the hands of the billionaire few. Co-operatives are the mechanism to reverse this trend, to anchor wealth not in the hands of shareholders and oligarchs, but in communities where it belongs.

“Our manifesto sets out what government needs to do - and do now - to catalyse the growth and impact of the co-operative model. It is essential reading for every MSP, Minister and official with a stake in food security because the asks are grounded in what our members already do.

“There's no shortage of warm words about co-operation from governments, regulators and industry bodies alike. It is easy to nod along and talk about working together, but the words mean nothing if they don’t, for example, unlock funding or fix criteria that the very co-operation we should be supporting.”

The manifesto will be formally launched at a Scottish Parliament reception, sponsored by Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs. He said: “Food security has moved significantly up the political agenda as Scotland’s food and farming sector faces growing volatility from climate change, geopolitical instability and disruption to supply chains. Many of these challenges cannot be tackled by individual businesses acting alone.

 “Collective challenges need collective solutions and co-operation can help create the scale, resilience and investment needed to respond. This manifesto is an important contribution to the debate about how we support Scotland’s existing co-operatives and accelerate greater co-operation across our food, farming and rural economy.”

 Grant Rogerson, CEO at ANM Group said: “There is a strong culture of co-operation across Scotland, built around a shared commitment to rural prosperity. But government needs to share the responsibility to ensure support is targeted where it delivers the greatest impact.  

 “This is not about asking for more money.  It is about using existing resources more effectively.  Too often, policy decisions fail to reflect the realities of food production and the long-term sustainability of rural businesses and communities.”

  To read the full manifesto, please visit: https://bit.ly/SAOSmanifesto

 [1] https://saos.coop/membership/our-members/