2009-082 Samen werken aan samenwerking - Lei

22
Summary
Cooperation in partnerships
Horizontal cooperation between the agrosector and pertinent SMEs takes many
shapes as regards form, intensity, scope and legal structure. This variety offers
opportunities to better achieve both private and business goals as a result of,
for example, more brainpower and more financial clout, and such social advantages
as support and more spare time. However, cooperation demands a lot
from entrepreneurs and their competences.
Introduction
Wageningen University and Research Centre (Agricultural Economics Research
Institute (LEI) and Applied Plant Research (PPO)) and EIM have carried out a research
project on horizontal cooperation for the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature
and Food Quality and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. While vertical cooperation
deals with parties within the chain (suppliers, primary producers, customers, retailers,
et cetera), horizontal cooperation takes place between firms in one or
more sectors that are active on the same level of a production chain. The researchers
looked at the agricultural sector and pertinent SMEs (i.e. small and
medium enterprises in the industrial sector, retail and wholesale trade, catering
and social healthcare), and the possible relationships between the two.
Cooperation offers many advantages and can contribute to the realisation of
entrepreneurial goals. Cooperation helps entrepreneurs to create new combinations,
develop complementary activities or improve existing processes and
products when the environment or market provides opportunities for such.
Costs can be reduced or additional added value can be created by taking advantage
of the knowledge and competences of other entrepreneurs and firms.
The overall aim of the research was to establish why entrepreneurs in agriculture
and pertinent SMEs do not work together more, what the reverse side of
the coin is and what agriculture can learn from these SMEs.