The Soil Association has called for more collaboration among farmers if the sector is to thrive in the face of Brexit challenges.
The organisation has produced a new report examining organic supply chains and understanding the impact of new challenges on future growth potential. A key recommendation is the need for universal increased support for producers to develop supply by building resilience on the ground, with programmes such as Innovative Farmers - a network that supports on-farm R&D - cited as examples of what can be achieved.
Supporting knowledge exchange and technical capability in farming could be vital to boosting productivity and maintaining supply in an expanding market, according to the Soil Association.
Other recommendations for strengthening supply chains includemaking effective use of tech solutions that improve efficiency and confidence; increasing transparency and better collaboration along the supply chain to affirm trust and build market stability; reducing UK reliance on organic imports to support domestic production; and developing understanding of growth markets such as export and foodservice to maximise success.
Lee Holdstock, trade relations manager at the Soil Association, said: “Sustainable food and farming needs stable, sustainable supply chains and future growth depends on resilience. The challenges at the base of the supply chain are very different from those further along, but the performance at the base can have a very significant impact on the whole chain’s success.
'One of the things this report highlights is a need for universal increased support for farmers to develop supply by building resilience on the ground: programmes like Innovative Farmers are already helping to explore solutions to some of the technical challenges of production and, where organic is concerned, anything that supports resilience at the base of the chain will have knock-on benefits for the processors, retailers and consumers as well.”
