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Initially Some Areas, Such As Cornwall, Have Taken The Colonial Approach ...


Initially some areas, such as Cornwall, have taken the colonial approach discussed within Hechter (1969) and sought other ways of increasing their individual incomes and prosperity. As has already been mentioned, in this particular region, many turned to tourism for this result. However, with the advent of cheap flights and travel, even this opportunity is now in decline. Thus the industry needs to look for more sustainable options. To this end Peter Pierpoint (1997) suggested research shows that combining the development of food processing within the agricultural regions may provide a positive option.
Food Processing
As with any are of industry, a range of supplementary operations has grown around agriculture. These indirectly include such organisations as financial institutions, equipment manufacturers and suppliers and the chemical and biotechnology organisations. However, the most directly linked ancillary industry to agriculture is food processing (Greer 2005, p.49). It is totally apparent that the two industries and inter-dependent. From the food producers to the processing and packaging operations and then on to the retailers, all of these areas are an integral part of the food supply chain.
As has been previously noted, in the past the agricultural industry and regions have tended to remain separate from the rest of the food supply chain. The perceived advantage of this approach was seen to be that farmers felt comfortable and confident within their own business environment and, as long as they were producing the required levels of products, saw this as their main income generator. However, the disadvantage was that, as the retail industry became more organised and, with the development of supermarkets and other price conscious outlets, so they began to have more influence upon the agricultural industry, forcing down prices and demanding higher yields and quality, all of which added to the economic difficulties being experience within the agricultural regions.
However, European Union regional data strongly suggests that agricultural regions that have taken it upon themselves to develop the food processing industry at a local level have seen increased value added to the industry itself (Pierpoint 1997) although, in his study he suggests that the structure of the French farming industry has given it an advantage in this area over their Cornish counterparts, despite the geographical and socio-economic similarities. Nevertheless, in Cornwall and other agricultural areas of the UK, those within the agricultural industry are beginning to take notice of the agri-food approach.
For example, a group of growers and farmers from the southwest regions of Cornwall across to Hampshire have formed their own organic marketing co-op, (Petty 2002, p.


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