[Pil-pc-oceania] Bridging the Gap Between Independence and Collaboration

[Michael Cooper]

  I understand that it is, of course, a bit taboo to directly compare Permaculture and conventional farming, so please forgive the digress! 8)  However, when I read the article below I thought to myself that there is an important parallel lesson here: it's tough to make it in the world alone, because of economies of scale.  Formal collaboration has a lot going for it (i.e. with benefits similar to that of a farmer co-op, alluded to below).  It would perhaps allow more Permaculture "hobbyists" to adopt/live the entire lifestyle (short packing up and moving to an eco-village).  However, as John indicates below, it's rarely as easy to cooperate with other people as well as one does with oneself! 8)
   
   
  Michael
   
   
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  Note: Please direct correspondence on the CFFO Commentary to John Clement, General Manager at clement at christianfarmers.org.
   
  The CFFO Commentary
  Title: Continued Independence May Require New Farm Business Models 
  By John Clement
  April 6, 2007
    Independence can be both a crowning glory and an isolating roadblock for farmers. Most farmers are attracted to the land due to a strong desire to be their own boss, make their own decisions and to build an independent lifestyle for themselves and their families. And yet some industry watchers are telling us that only larger scale farms will allow farmers the freedom to retain the independence that fuels their activities.
   
  The problem for smaller to mid-sized farmers operating in traditional commodity markets is that margins can be razor-thin and volatile. Without having diversified enterprises, adequate volumes, or products with added value, these farmers can be left contemplating a future with undesirable options. Given that scenario, I think that one of the best ways to work around this problem is through the development of new farm business models that allow smaller to mid-sized farmers to combine efforts on either scale of production, innovation, or a combination of both. And these models have to do so in a way that allows farmers to keep their independence even while being part of a larger group.
   
  On this point, one of the most successful models in Ontario for bridging the gap between independence and collaboration has been supply management. Say what you want about other aspects of the system, supply management has allowed farmers to remain independent within a larger overall framework of collaboration and industry coordination. In many ways, it has allowed farmers to cooperate with each other without being too --- well, cooperative. In fact, in the Ontario context, supply management has caught farmer imagination more than formal marketing cooperatives or value chains. 
   
  The lessons supply management delivers on coordinating an individual farmer’s plans with those of everyone else’s are worth repeating in other commodities. The problem, so far, is that there are very few farm business models in these commodities that work nearly as well at bridging the gap between independence and collaboration. 
   
  While I’ve had this opinion about new business models for some time now, I am starting to see that some others are starting to think the same way. In a recent discussion document from the Agricultural Institute of Canada, the organization recommends that a new generation of farm business models be developed. It says that the industry needs to “develop and promote on-farm and inter-farm business models that are adaptable to diverse farm operations to attract investors, partners and new entrants.” 
   
  I’m not sure what those new business models will look like. But they need to be flexible, suitable for different types of commodities, coordinate production and marketing, allow collaboration between the various players, meet the needs of customers and create the potential for extra profits. And at the end of the day, they have to leave farmers with an acceptable level of independence. If they don’t, they simply aren’t going to work for most farmers. 
   

  John Clement is the General Manager of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham and CHOK Sarnia, Ontario and is archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org/index.html. CFFO is supported by 4,300 family farmers across Ontario . 
   
  Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario
  7660 Mill Rd.
  RR 4 Guelph , ON N1H 6J1  
  Ph: (519) 837-1620
  Fax:(519) 824-1835
  email: boconnor at christianfarmers.org
  web: www.christianfarmers.org

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