Innovation in Food Networks and Organizational Diversity: A Case Study from the UK Retail Cooperative Sector

Valeria Sodano and Martin Hingley

No 59199, 2009 International European Forum, February 15-20, 2009, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria from International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks

Abstract: The still ongoing processes of consolidation and globalization affect the organizational diversity of the food system in very complex and somehow contradictory ways. The few transnational companies (TNCs) in whose hands the most part of food processing and distribution activities is concentrated, continuously look for organizational innovations to enhance their profits. Inter-firms collaborative arrangements, global sourcing and sector diversification are some of the most widely followed strategies that require (and/or lead to) new organizational forms. The paper identifies some important patterns of organizational structures and innovation in the food (and specifically food retailing) system, in order to evaluate the role and the competitiveness of cooperatives with respect to other organizational forms.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Agricultural and Food Policy; Farm Management; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies; Risk and Uncertainty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 20
Date: 2009-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-cse and nep-knm
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:iefi09:59199

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.59199

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