As the Government works toward its commitment to double the size of the co-operative economy, agricultural co-operation stands out as one of the most powerful and underused opportunities for change.  The Co-operative Party’s report ‘Building Resilience: the case for co-operative agriculture’ argues that agricultural co-operatives offer a practical and potentially transformational response to the UK’s dependence on complex supply chains heavily reliant on imports from abroad.

The report calls for a modern institutional model capable of redistributing power though our food system. By enabling farmers to pool resources, share risk, and invest collectively, co-operatives reduce exposure to volatile input markets and strengthen bargaining power across the supply chain. They create the conditions for shorter, more resilient supply networks, and for greater retention of value within rural economies. With more than 500 agricultural co-operatives and almost 236,000 members already active across the UK, co-operation in the sector is far from new. But the bigger opportunity lies in what comes next: how co-operatives can scale their impact to help farmers respond to rising pressure from price volatility, climate disruption, and uncertain investment conditions.

This is a practical and proven way to build resilience, productivity, and sustainability across the agri-food system as well as how it can help deliver key national priorities set out in the UK Food Strategy, the Farming Profitability Review, and the Land Use Framework.

Members are invited to join this online-only Zoom event to hear more about the report and the Party’s case for expanding the sector.

With Policy Officer, Dan Monaghan.