Seeing the Bigger Picture
The island of Mull on Scotland's west coast is home to the Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT), which was established in 1997.
MICT is a community-owned, charitable social enterprise. The Trust supports over 30 community groups each year - it helps to integrate the island communities and promotes planned, sustainable development, as well as acting as a catalyst for community effort.
Among a number of core activities the Trust undertakes, is developing economic opportunities for local businesses in all sectors, but specifically recycling, waste management and social enterprise.
Among the enterprises which have received support from the Trust are two truly collaborative businesses - a farmer-owned, low throughput abattoir and a community-owned butcher shop in Tobermory. These businesses help the wider community prosper through promotion of local meat on the island and further afield, a cause helped by the focus of the annual food festival on local produce. This has encouraged island restaurants to buy local, rather than from a mainland wholesaler.
In the mid 1990's the abattoir's management committee embarked on a programme of improvements and, with the support of the Trust, it survived the trials of the BSE and Foot and Mouth outbreaks. It retained its licence, added a number of other species' licences and now takes sheep, pigs and cattle. It also cuts and packs venison from the local estates.
But, perhaps the most important development in the growth of the abattoir business has been the opening of Mull Butchers Ltd in Tobermory. This is a living example of the Trust's aim to develop integrated economic development - assisting both the abattoir and the islands' farmers and helping to develop a retail business which promotes local meat.
The involvement of MICT in both businesses has been essential to their development and their sustainability. Says James: "If the Trust hadn't been there, acting as a catalyst, helping to identify funding and offering management support -whilst also promoting local food to increase demand - the two businesses probably wouldn't exist. It's also clear that the sustainability of each business is dependent to some extent on the other."
Key points from this case study:
- a third party can offer vital support to help build sustainable supply chains in markets limited by geography
- collaboration in such markets can help build brands and add premium to products
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