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Abstract
Small food producers are often advised to collaborate with other small food producers to solve marketing and sales activity
jointly. The small food producers have to operate many different activities to run their company, so the idea to collaborate
may help them to work more efficient. However, good ideas is not always enough and many network of small food
producers struggle to succeed.
In a case study of different small food producers and producers of food specialties and local food, we studied the
collaboration between the producers. We found networks, which had developed over time and seemed to function well
while other networks still struggled after years with collaboration. A closer look at the different participants in the network
uncovered that the different producers had different goals or opinions of what function the network should have. It
became even more difficult when the activities in the network had a price label, because the producers conduct the
functions themselves without calculating the costs.
The findings resulted in the development of the network staircase model. We identified five different steps of collaboration
based the function/goal of the network, producer requirements and obligations. We labelled the steps as community of
interest, marketing collaboration, sales collaboration, distribution collaboration and a fifth step of sales management. The
farther up the stairs, the more commitment will be on the participants. When they start sales collaboration, someone have
to conduct activities and need salary.
The investigations revealed that struggling networks seemed to have participants on different steps in the stair; some
wanted marketing collaboration and other wanted distribution collaboration. They had never asked the fundamental
question of what each of them wanted and if the network could help them solve these functions. The more successful
networks had made statements of what kind of functions the network should perform.
The network staircase model may help small food producers and even other small firms to discuss and clarify what function
the network can have for them. Small food producers are diverse and we cannot expect everyone to fit into a particular
network, and certainly should everyone be able to choose a network appropriate to their needs. This also indicates that
there may be good reasons for small food producers to stay outside seemingly suitable network in their area. The network
staircase may serve as a tool for advisors to help the small food producers in their development processes. Different
producers have different opinions of the purpose of the network, and they will find themselves at different steps of this
staircase.