Many agricultural co-operatives in mainland Europe are entering into partnerships across international boundaries in the face of multi-national food firms and powerful retailers, said Sir Ben.
And he is calling on more producers to join co-operatives or other farmer-controlled businesses in the UK so that the domestic industry is in a better position to forge international alliances. He said: 'Farmers are having to fight in an increasingly cut-throat marketplace dealing with the might of major international companies.' There are more than 550 co-operatives in the UK with a turnover of £6.6billion and 30,000 in the EU as a whole with some 9 million members.