Co-operatives the Key to the Future of Farming

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Tuesday, 24 September 2002

In a hard hitting piece in the Observer on 15th September, Will Hutton speaks of the need for a 'root and branch re-think of the way we use our land'. He goes on to say:

'Farming suffers from two chronic weaknesses; it is poorly organised before the bargaining power of agri-business and it lacks access to cheap, long- term credit from the type of specialist farming banks that exist in mainland Europe. It needs to organise itself in powerful co-operatives that capture more of the food-processing business locally and insist on higher prices from supermarkets. If the co-operatives are to have sufficient financial muscle, then they, in turn, need to be able to get supportive finance from a specialist farming bank.'

Source: Guardian Unlimited Observer. For full article visit: http://www.observer.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,792432,00.html