Co-operation and co-ordination in the supply chain: a comparison between the Jersey Royal and the Opperdoezer Ronde potato

Co-operation and co-ordination along the supply chain are important factors influencing the performance of products. There is a considerable body of literature which suggests that modern business practices, concentrating on the final consumer, bring benefits to the market-orientated producers. The article attempts to discover the ability of participants to adapt to changing market signals in the supply chain and to identify their strategic objectives. To examine the influences of co-operation and co-ordination two cases will be examined. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives from the actors within the supply chains and the surrounding social, economic and political system. Both the Jersey Royal (from the UK) and the Opperdoezer Ronde (from the Netherlands) are early potatoes, with limited production and a small market share. They are both PDO products, which could allow for noncommoditised relations between the members of the supply chain. However, the similarities end there. The marketing of the Jersey Royal is highly organised in terms of supply chain co-operation, whereas the Opperdoezer Ronde producers have little co-operation or co-ordination. The case studies examine the influence of the differences in co-operation and co-ordination on the product performance of both products.